I’ll have to write up and opinion on that sooner or later.
Now I don’t know in what context she made this illustration
Full text is online here:
http://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/Phil160,Fall02/thomson.htm
I first read that when I was a teenager. I think it’s amazing that it is still considered a leading argument for abortion.
]]>The quote you provide by Judith Jarvis Thomson is respectible in the that she recognizes murder as a by-product of intent in abortion. However, her premise is somewhat dishonest in that she sets the individual up as a victim. This illustration would only work in the case of conception as a result of rape (most non-neanderthals would agree that a women is victimized in rape) and perhaps ignorance of the consequences of sexual intercourse (i.e. conception is a possible consequence, although I don’t think that is possible in a modern society).
Now I don’t know in what context she made this illustration and if it was in the context of rape then I have no problem with it and applaud it’s honesty. If however she is using it absolutely in her justification/explanation for murder as a result of abortion then I think she is adding to the dishonesty contained in this debate.
What do you think?
]]>It’s very interesting to hear the difference in the Japanese view of abortion, that they “claim that it is a necessary evil”. Even the topic of “evil” is a difficult one with most intellectuals in America.
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