The Judith Thomson vs. Don Marquis Abortion Debate

Judith Thomson and Don Marquis were philosophers who debated a lot about abortion in their time and had their views on it and the factors surrounding the topic. While Thomson advocates the legalization and support of abortion and says that people should do everything to help each other, Marquis completely does not support this idea. Thus, Thompson and Marquis discuss different sides of the question of the morality of abortion.

Thompson develops the idea that no one should be forced to give their strength and health to another person against their will for nine months. It is true even though the fetus growing inside a woman is part of that woman, her flesh and blood. In addition, conception can occur not only by chance between two partners who love each other but also, in the case of rape, forced to have sex. In A Defense of Abortion, Thomson argues that abortion is morally permissible, even if the fetus is considered human (Thomson). With this statement, the author supports the idea that a woman’s body and personality are her right, so she must make decisions about abortion on her own.

Don Marquis argues that abortion is a wrong and immoral decision. In his article Why Abortion is Immoral, he says that killing a person is wrong; therefore, abortion is murder (Marquis 1). Thus, it is unacceptable, regardless of a person’s biological state, who can be a self-sufficient adult person and a one-year-old child or fetus (Marquis 1). The Marquis states that killing is not right because it is immoral and robs the victim of life and the pleasures that could have been experienced. For a philosopher, this is the most significant loss that can happen to a person.

However, the Marquis does not deny that there are various circumstances in which abortion is considered acceptable, but it remains immoral. As stated in many laws in different countries, such circumstances include rape, incest, or if the pregnancy threatens the woman’s health. It is a scientific fact that life begins at conception. The embryo is not a part of a woman’s body. As a biological structure, the embryo is not identical to any of her organs since it is a human being growing in her body (Rivron and Pera 184). The human embryo has a special ontological status: it is a ‘potential human.’ His nature is the formation, the formation of biological individuality, the prerequisites for a unique mindset, the character of a future person, and his life experience. That is why, abortion at any stage of pregnancy is the intentional termination of a person’s life.

Although the Marquis opposes abortion, calling it the same murder as the murder of an adult, he does not deny that it may be necessary. Thomson suggests in his work that the anti-abortionists are correct that a fetus is a person but to advocate for abortion. She draws attention to the fact that the right to life does not include the right to require anyone to expend any resources or efforts to maintain this life. That is what a pregnant woman does since the fetus is in her body and is nourished by her account. Thus, Thompson agrees that murder is immoral, as the Marquis believes, but a woman has every right to get rid of the fetus, and outsiders have the right to help her in this.

Works Cited

Marquis, Don. “Why Abortion Is Immoral.” Philosophy & Public Affairs, 1989, Web.

Rivron, Nicolas, and Martin Pera. “Debate Ethics of Embryo Models from Stem Cells.” NATURE, vol. 564, 2018, Web.

Thomson, Judith Jarvis. “A Defense of Abortion.” Philosophy & Public Affairs, Web.

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StudyCorgi. "The Judith Thomson vs. Don Marquis Abortion Debate." June 28, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/the-judith-thomson-vs-don-marquis-abortion-debate/.

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StudyCorgi. 2023. "The Judith Thomson vs. Don Marquis Abortion Debate." June 28, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/the-judith-thomson-vs-don-marquis-abortion-debate/.

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