Judith Jarvis Thomson's Abortion Defense

• Judith Jarvis Thomson defends abortion by sidestepping the question of fetal personhood.
• She argues that even if a fetus is a person with a right to life, abortion can still be permissible.

The Violinist Analogy

• Thomson introduces the violinist analogy: waking up connected to a famous unconscious violinist who needs your kidneys to survive.
• The director of the hospital tells you that unplugging the violinist would kill him but it's only for nine months.
• Thomson argues that you are not morally obligated to remain connected to the violinist, even though he has a right to life.
• She asserts the violinist's right to life does not entail a right to use your body without your consent.

Implications and Counterarguments

• The first issue surrounding Thomson's analogy is whether it can be extended to cases beyond involuntary pregnancy due to rape.
• Thomson aims to extend the analogy, addressing different scenarios.
• The second issue is whether the right to unplug extends to cases where the dependent being is innocent.
• Thomson argues the issue hinges on whether the being has a right to use the mother's body.
• The final point is regarding whether the mother ought to allow the fetus continued use of her body, regardless of rights, and whether the law should enforce this.
• Thomson argues that existing laws do not generally require people to make great sacrifices to save others' lives.

The Right to Life

• Thomson challenges the notion that the right to life guarantees the right to whatever is needed for continued life.
• Using the example of needing Henry Fonda's touch to survive, she argues that one does not have a right to demand such aid from another person.
• Similarly, the violinist's need for your kidneys does not give him a right to them.

Pregnancy Due to Rape

• Thomson argues the mother in a pregnancy due to rape has not granted the unborn person the right to use her body.
• It can't be taken for granted that pregnancy means the mother must give the unborn person a right to the use of her body for food and shelter.
• Even in the case where a woman voluntarily engages in intercourse knowing that it could result in pregnancy does not oblige her to carry the pregnancy to term.

People-Seeds Analogy

• Thomson uses the "people-seeds" analogy, involving seeds drifting into houses and taking root in carpets, to underscore the point.
• She intends to state that even knowing the risks, the home owner does not grant the person-plant a right to the use of their house.
• Thomson suggests that the right to the use of another person’s body is a precarious one at best.

Minimally Decent Samaritan

• Thomson acknowledges there are cases in which it would be morally indecent to detach a person from your body.
• It would be indecent to refuse to aid a violinist in need of the use of your body for one hour, in slight detriment to your health.
• However, these nuances only make the question surrounding circumstances more morally complicated.
• The author mentions cases in which we would consider someone self-centered, callous or indecent rather than unjust, if they refuse to grant the use of their body.
• Thomson distinguishes between a "Good Samaritan" and a "Minimally Decent Samaritan."
• She points out that we are not legally required to be even Minimally Decent Samaritans.