Discussion Leading Assignment

Write a few paragraphs that summarize the reading you have selected (chapter attached). Do your best to be as accurate and nuanced as possible and make sure not to leave out any centrally important point. Provide page citations for any direct quotes or paraphrases of the most important claims. Demonstrate to me that you have mastered your reading, that you understand its central argument, and that you can talk about it articulately in your own words. The purpose of this section is to solidify your understanding of your reading and to demonstrate that understanding to me. DO NOT USE OUTSIDE RESOURCES. BE VERY DETAILED ON BOTH ASPECTS OF THE PAPER.

ANSWER

Summary of the Reading

Introduction

The reading, “A defense of Abortion” by Judith Jarvis Thomson, analyzes a moral philosophical theory on abortion and whether the right to abortion prevail over the right to life. Thompson uses thought experiments to bring understanding on how the rights of the fetus do not outperform the need to save the pregnant woman’s life and her right to life. The reading covers different sides of the argument concerning abortion and offers examples to support the arguments through the thought experiments. Thompson’s arguments revolve around the right to life and permissible reasons for abortion to save the woman’s life.

Summary of the Reading

Thompson first focuses the argument on what most opponents of abortion rely on which is personhood of abortion which makes abortion impermissible. Thompson believes that the perception is wrong and focuses on various thought experiments that she uses throughout the essay. Thompson attempts to defend abortion from a position of anti-abortion which takes premises trough declaring that a fetus is a human being and the human being has the right to life (Thomson, 2017). Most of the arguments on abortion focus on giving fetus life after conception thus considering the fetus a human being. The overall thesis of Thomson’s argument is that abortion is acceptable no matter the personhood standing of the fetus. Thompson uses her famous violinist thought experiment which she uses to argue the notion of self defense and bodily autonomy of the pregnant woman.

The right to Life

Thomson supports the right to life for the unborn but also focuses on permissibility of abortion (Thomson, 2017). The argument to defend abortion begins with giving the fetus life and making an argument between the right to life and right to choose. The argument also addresses different aspects of the issue such as the person pregnant, the right of the fetus, how the rights interact, moral obligation and third parties. Thomson argues that the rights of the fetus are not any significant than the rights of the person pregnant. Thomson also addresses cases where moral obligations are considered and third party participation.

Thomson argues that despite the fact that fetus is a person at birth, some conditions of abortions can still be morally permissible. All persons are given the right to choose what occurs in their body but the right of the fetus outweighs the right of the woman to choose what take place to their body.  Ideally, the right of the fetus does not mean that they are given the right to use another individual’s body (the pregnant person). According to human rights, pregnant women are allowed to decline the use of their body by someone else without their will. Therefore, Thomson argues that a woman’s right should be withheld when making decisions about abortion.

Saving life

According to the article, abortion is permissible to save the life of the pregnant woman. Thomson states that most people argue that performing abortion is killing an innocent child (Thomson, 2017). Abortion has been impressible due to arguments such as the notion that it’s an act of killing an innocent soul, it results to murder and that one should refrain from directly murdering an innocent soul. These are premises that people assume they should be added when reaching a conclusion on abortion.

Another argument is that there are cases in which it can be ethically right to separate an individual from one’s body from at the cost of their life. Thomson argues that which if the pregnancy only lasted a single hour and led to no threat of health or life. Relatively, suppose the woman got pregnant as a consequence of rape. This means that did not willingly become pregnant or do anything voluntarily to bring the child to life. Therefore, the pregnant woman did nothing that gives the unborn baby right to her body.

Right to Self-defense

Thompson also uses the right to self defense to show how abortion permissible. Thomson argues that abortion cannot be considered as murder of the mother carries out this act to save her life (Thomson, 2017). With reference to Violinist, it’s distressing to put strain on your kidney which may lead to damage and death after some months. The case of abortion only involves two people the mother, whose life is threatened and the fetus who threatens it. Therefore, the threatened person has the right to defend her life. Relatively, this means that a woman should freely defend her life against danger that is posed by the unborn infant even if doing so requires acts like killing. Thomson states the fetus is a person but the mother is a person too so she has an equal right to life.

The abortion argument also focuses on the third party and what they may do when a woman are requests for abortion and how this is permissible. For instance a third party may decline to kill a growing child but at that point the pregnant woman had right for self defense. However, the woman as a human being has the right to claim anything and has a prior claim to their body. Additionally, the mother has the right to choose what happens to their body. Thompson argues that the right to life gives a bare minimum that one requires for continued life.

Conclusion

In summation, Thompson’ essay offers a philosophical debate on abortion which focuses on permissibility of abortion with claims such as right to self defense, the need to save life and the pregnant woman’s right to life. Thompson uses thought experiment to explain the right to life and self defense and how they make abortion permissible.

References

Thomson, J. J. (2017). A Defense of Abortion 1. In The Right to Bodily Integrity (pp. 133-152). Routledge.