Judith Jarvis Thomson s A Defense Of Abortion Essay

Judith Jarvis Thomson’s â€Å"A Defense of Abortion† is a uniquely reasoned argument for the right to abortion that uses strong analogies to challenge pro-life arguments that are based on the premise that a human life begins at the moment of conception. In this paper I will argue that Thomson is correct in her view and that her analogies solidify her argument, which then becomes impervious to criticism from philosophers like Keith J. Pavlischek or David B. Hershenov who bring up other factors irrelevant to Thomson argument that are easily disputable by facts. Thomson starts her paper by clarifying that while she does not agree with the premise that â€Å"life begins at the moment of conception† she is willing to accept it in her argument to prove that it is a counterpoint to abortion that is as weak as the rest of the pro-life argument. In her essay, Thomson uses three major analogies to illustrate different scenarios to which abortion would be considered. The â €Å"Violinist Analogy† describes a pregnancy that has been induced by rape and, foreshadows to a section later in the essay, where she goes into detail about where the line is drawn when two innocent lives are at risk and what is the third party’s role in the problem solving. It is a case in which the Society of Music Lovers has kidnapped you and attached you to a revered violinist who needs your kidneys to support him so he can live. The doctor says it is a nine month procedure, after which, he will be healthy again and you willShow MoreRelatedWomen s Rights By Judith Jarvis Thomson s A Defense Of Abortion1614 Words   |  7 Pageswomen’s rights entail? For instance, should abortion be considered one of the select inalienable rights for women? This topic of human rights, specifically that of pregnant women, is discussed in Judith Jarvis Thomson’s â€Å"A Defense of Abortion†. In this defense, Thomson makes her claim â€Å"While I do argue that a bortion is not impermissible, I do not argue that it is always permissible† (655 Perry). In other words Thomson has come to the conclusion that abortion may only be permissible under certain circumstancesRead MoreA Defense Of Abortion By Judith Jarvis Thomson934 Words   |  4 PagesJudith Jarvis Thomson is an American moral philosopher that is well known for her defense of moral justice and description of moral rights. She has published in prestigious papers in ethics, metaphysics, and the philosophy of law. Including the most widely written essay â€Å"A Defense of Abortion† , that was published in 1971 in the journal of philosophy and public affairs. This essay constructs abortion rights with pregnant woman’s rights to control her own body and it’s life support purpose, as opposedRead More A Defense of Abortion by Judith Jarvis Thomson Essay1075 Words   |  5 PagesA Defense of Abortion by Judith Jarvis Thomson In the article A Defense of Abortion Judith Jarvis Thomson argues that abortion is morally permissible even if the fetus is considered a person. In this paper I will give a fairly detailed description of Thomson main arguments for abortion. In particular I will take a close look at her famous violinist argument. Following will be objections to the argumentative story focused on the reasoning that one persons right to life outweighs anotherRead MoreIs Abortion Morally Permissible?966 Words   |  4 PagesIn Judith Jarvis Thomson’s philosophy paper, A Defense of Abortion, she argues that abortion is permissible because an individual’s right over their own body outweighs a fetus’s right to life. In this paper I will focus on whether or not abortion is always permissible. First, I will present Thomson’s argument which says that abortion is sometimes permissible. I will do so by describing her â€Å"famous violinist† thought experiment. Next, I will ob ject to Thomson’s claim and expand the scope of her argumentRead MoreAn Essay Of Two Abortion Arguments1701 Words   |  7 Pages Jill Sikora Marquis v.s. Thomson (An Essay of Two Abortion Arguments) Philosophers, lawyers, theologians and others have devoted and continue to devote their lives to study of the ethics of abortion. Since abortion was legalized, the abortion debate has intensified, and does not show any signs of being resolved anytime soon. The idea’s that advocate the women’s right to abort or the proactive logic that supports the pro-life view and the fundamental identity of the baby all come in handRead MoreA Defense Against Abortion By Judith Jarvis1439 Words   |  6 Pages In her article â€Å"A Defense Against Abortion,† Judith Jarvis Thomson explores the permissibility of abortion through both the rights of a fetus and of a woman, and further argues that abortion is sometimes permissible under circumstantial situations. Thomson offers multiple thought-experiments, but the one I am focusing on in my paper is her burglar-based argument. In short, this situation involves you leaving your window open, knowingly increasing the risk of a burglar entering your home. She furtherRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal For Women?1350 Words   |  6 PagesForty-two years after the highly controversial case Roe vs. Wade, that made it legal for women to have an abortion, society continues to debate whether or not women should have the right to have an abortion. Judith Jarvis Thomson’s famous article â€Å"A Defense of Abortion† defends a women’s right to have an abortion. However, I disagree with Thomson’s defense against abortions, and believe that abortions are highly immoral and should be illegal. Many whom are pro-choice argue that a fetus is not a personRead MoreArgument For Abortion : The Freedom Of Choose Life1263 Words   |  6 PagesMilsky Argument for Abortion: The Freedom to Choose Life Judith Jarvis Thomson argued that the â€Å"the impermissibility of abortion does not follow from the premises that every fetus is a person and that every person has a right to life† (Thomson) Thomson distinguishes between what we ought to do versus what we are morally required to. This essay will show how abortions are permissible and not permissible according to Thomson. Thomson first starts about her argument that abortion may still be morallyRead MoreThe Moral Permissibility Of Abortion Essay2270 Words   |  10 PagesThe Moral Permissibility of Abortion When faced with the choice of life or death, most people would choose to live. In fact, most would not want someone else making that decision for them. They would claim that as a living and independent entity it is solely their choice as to whether they continue to live or not. While this concept may seem fairly straightforward, there seems to be some great debate when it is applied to abortion. For many, they will maintain that the fetus has the right to lifeRead MoreThe Argument Of Abortion On Abortion1692 Words   |  7 PagesThe argument of abortion is largely circumstanced around whether or not a fetus should be considered as a human person and, if indeed it is, when exactly in the stages of development can a person agree with the aforementioned statement. Most pro-life supporters firmly believe that a fetus is a human at the instance of conception and use this as a sole basis to argue that abortion is therefore immoral. Judith Jarvis Thomson is not convinced that this basis i s a sufficient defense and approaches the