Thomson on Abortion

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Thomson on Abortion
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Two old arguments

• All human beings have a right to life
• The fetus is clearly human
• Therefore the fetus has a right to life and
  abortion ought not be performed.

• Only people have a right to life
• The fetus is not a person
• Therefore the fetus does not have a right to life
  and abortion is permissible

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Another anti-abortion argument

• All persons have a right to life
• The fetus is a person
• Therefore, the fetus may not be killed and
  abortion is wrong
• Thomson thinks this argument is invalid. We can
  accept the truth of the premises without
  accepting the conclusion..

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The violinist example

• Suppose you wake up one day attached to a famous
  violinist. You are informed that if you detach
  yourself from the violionist the violinist dies.
  Are you obliged to remain attached?
• Note the V. is obviously a person, and therefore
  has a right to life
• So if you agree you have a right to detach,
• You recognize the anti abortion argument is
  invalid.

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Obj this is only analogous to involuntary
pregnancy

• Thomson replies It still shows the argument is
  invalid. How much is agreeing to have sex similar
  to a contract to have a baby?
• Consider another example Suppose you lived in a
  world in which people grew on carpets and
  upholstery. They just fly in through the window
  and take root. But you dont want children and
  you want fresh air, so you put up screens to keep
  the people seeds out.
• But the screen breaks, and seeds fly in