Thomson's Views on Abortion

Surname1
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
1.
a) Does Thomson herself think that the fetus is a person at the moment of conception?
Thomson herself does not think of fetus as a person the moment of the conception as this is clearly
illustrated in her sentiments when says, a very early abortion is surely not killing a person. Though earlier
she seemed to support the notion that abortion of the fetus is murder which was mainly based on building
her arguments on whether abortion is morally right or wrong. She intends to agree with both opponents
and proponents of abortion so as to have an in-depth view of what abortion entails in relation to the fetus
and the mother. She even goes ahead to question whether the mother has the right to make a choice of
whether she wants the fetus in her body or not. She expounds on exceptions of conception in cases such
as rape and questions whether the mother can be allowed to make decision over the fate of the fetus, she
examines the views of opponents of abortion at the same time who she says that only stick their argument
on the premise that abortion is immoral and the circumstances does not matter.
b) What is Thomson’s view of the tendency to choose a point where "before this point the fetus is not
a person and after this point, the fetus is a person.
Thomson believes that a fetus become a person depending with the choices made by the woman at the
time of conception. According to her, a fetus becomes person the moment the mother accepts the
responsibility of the pregnancy or the moment the woman fails to use birth control measures. According
to her the woman has no special responsibility to the fetus simply because of the biological relationship.
Thomson expounds that the woman has the choice to choose at what point the fetus becomes a person by
either choosing to accept the responsibility or not.

Surname2
c) How does Thomson answer the anti-abortion argument that the fetus is what naturally develops into
the baby and into the child or that there is a noticeable continuous development here that ends up in the
human being?
Thomson in response to this premise thinks that the argument is valid but not critically argued and
believes that the argument is shallow. She compares the argument of a fetus presumed to be a person at
the time of conception to development of an acorn into an oak tree which does not follow that acorns are
oak trees. She terms the arguments of the anti-abortion as slippery arguments which they heavily and
uncritically rely on. She agrees that the idea of drawing a line as to when a fetus becomes a person is dim
and also to the argument that a fetus becomes a person at the time of birth.
d) After granting, for the sake of argument that the fetus is a person from conception and should not be
aborted, she examines the standard pro-life argument (p. 145) and this leads to many analogies that press
a point. What is that? Does she just, simply, say all abortion is morally permissible? Does she say all
abortions are choices that ought to be respected and should not be questioned morally?
Thomson argues that in as much as the woman has the right and choice to determine what happens to
her body but the right to life of a person outweighs her right to choose what she wants when it comes to a
person’s life (Medoff 580). She does not support the premise that all abortions are choices that ought to
be respected but instead she examines different circumstances to evaluate which situation outweighs the
other before a choice is made. She illustrates her story on morality using the Good Samaritan story and
affirms that nobody is morally required to make huge or even exceptional sacrifices to ensure that
someone else lives but it’s a choice a person makes. According to her right to life in some occasions
outweighs the right to make choices as one is left without choices to make.
2) Explain the meaning of all analogies and metaphors Thomson used (beginning with the violinist);
what was her point with each analogy and how does it contribute support to her very careful position.

Surname3
Thomson uses several analogies and metaphors to explain her arguments. She compares the situation
in which one is kidnapped to save the life of a violinist as to whether they have a choice to make once the
violinist life depends on them with a situation where the woman has the right to make a choice about what
happens to her body but the right to life of a person outweighs that choice and is more stringent. The two
situations have different issues but aim at the same solution. It examines whether the person’s right to
choose freedom outweighs the violinist’s life whose is also considered as a person.
She compares the point at which a fetus can be referred to a person with development of an acorn into
an oak tree. She compares the similarities between the two different circumstances which are not related
in any way to bring out her point based on her comparison. According to her the fetus can be considered
as a person at any point but does not follow that the fetus is considered as a person by that mere
argument. Similar to an acorn during its development it does not follow that it is an oak tree.
She also compares the story of the Good Samaritan with the moral responsibility that people have
when making choices over issues involving abortion. She illustrates how the Good Samaritan made a
choice but affirms that it was not his responsibility the same way a woman has no social responsibility
simply because the fetus is biologically attached to her.
3) Do the supporting analogies taken together logically lead necessarily to her position?
Yes the supporting analogies logically leads to her position because the comparison brings clearly the
different circumstances that choices have to be made and by whom. The comparison brings out the clear
reasons for a choice and reasons against another choice. According to her she embraces both arguments
and the analogies illustrate both sides of argument on the topic of abortion.
4) Are there weak analogies? Which one? In what way?
Yes. Many arguments rely on analogy to bring out the intended meaning or object. In some situations
two things or ideas that are compared aren’t actually alike in relevant aspect hence creating weak