Introduction to Ethics Lecture 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. Offspring Objection 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?