Thomson on Abortion
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
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..
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.
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 don’t 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