Introduction to EthicsLecture 16

Thomson’s A Defense of Abortion

By David Kelsey

The most common argument for the impermissibility of abortion

• The main argument strategy for the impermissibility of abortion:– 1-A fetus is a person– 2-Every person has a right to life– 3-A fetus has a right to life (from 1 & 2)– 4-A woman has a right to decide what happens in and to

her body– 5-The fetus’ right to life trumps the mother’s right to

decide what happens in and to her body.– 6-Abortion is impermissible.

– Where would you challenge this argument?

Thomson rejects premise 5

• In response to the argument from the previous slide:– Most folks try to argue that premise 1 is false.

• They try to argue that ______________________.

– Thomson tries a different tact:• Which premise does she go after?

• Thomson argues that the scope of the right to life of the fetus doesn’t include the right to the use of the expectant mother’s body

• Thus, the mother’s right to control what happens in & to her body cannot be trumped by ____________________.

• What kind of argument does Thomson make?

The Violinist Analogy

• The Violinist analogy is supposed to be analogous to a case in which a woman becomes pregnant as a result of rape.

• The terms of the analogy:– The violinist is analogous to ___________.– The kidnap victim is analogous to ___________.– Unplugging from the violinist is analogous to ______________.

• Question: Would you unplug from the Violinist?– If so you must also accept what?

The Tiny House

• This case is analogous to one in which pregnancy will result in the death of the mother.

• Terms of the analogy:– The rapidly growing child is analogous to __________.– The mother trapped in the house is analogous to _____________.– Killing the rapidly growing child is analogous to ___________.

• If your intuition is that the mother has the right to defend her life against the rapidly growing child, you must admit what?

People Seeds

• The People seeds case is supposed to be analogous to a case in which a pregnancy resulted although some form of protection was used.

• Terms of the analogy:– The person plant are analogous to _________.

– The house is supposed to be analogous to ___________.

– The fine mesh screen is analogous to _____________.

• Thomson thinks the person plant that finds it’s way through the screen and develops doesn’t have a right to the use of your house.

– So according to Thomson, a fetus that results from the use of protection has no right to the use of what?

Minimally decent Samaritans

• For Thomson, it’s not that she thinks that any old reason for having an abortion will justify getting the abortion.

• If it is a mere inconvenience for the woman to get the abortion, then it would be indecent of her to do so.

– Question: what if pregnancy lasted only an hour?

– So Thomson thinks the mother must be at least a __________________.

– The case of Kitty Genovese!

Objections to Thomson:The Weirdness objection

• Thomson’s Violinist case and the others are too dissimilar to the different cases of abortion because Thomson’s cases are all too weird.

• The reply:– Questionable relevance

The Tacit Consent Objection

• What does Thomson say about consensual sex?– What if the expecting parents wanted to have a child all along and then

something came up? What if they changed their minds?

• Thomson’s response:– If it isn’t too much of an inconvenience on the mother to have the child then

she ought to.– If it is too much of a burden on the mother then abortion is permissible

because, after all, consent can be withdrawn.

The Responsibility objection

• You have a responsibility to care for the fetus in all cases except rape whereas in Thomson’s analogies, for example the people seeds analogy, you have no such responsibility.

• Reply: But does this added responsibility widen the scope of the fetus’ right to life?

The Killing vs. Letting Die objection

• Killing and letting die:– The Violinist case is a case of letting the violinist die.

– Abortion is killing.

– Question: Is killing worse than letting die?

• Response:– The killing and letting die distinction does no work because Thomson is worried only

about what?

The Stranger vs. OffspringObjection

• The objection:– The violinist is a stranger

– The mother child relationship is special though.

– It is this relationship which obligates the mother to bring the child to term.

• Response:– What’s the relevance of this objection?