Why does Thomson think that the "extreme view" is implausible? Do you agree?

Question

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The Answer is Judith Jarvis Thomson, in her famous essay "A Defense of Abortion" (1971), discusses several views on abortion, including what she calls the "extreme view." The extreme view, as Thomson describes it, is the position that abortion is impermissible even to save the life of the mother. This view holds that the fetus has a right to life that cannot be overridden, no matter the circumstances.

Thomson finds the extreme view implausible for several reasons:

1. **The Violinist Analogy**: Thomson presents a thought experiment where you are kidnapped and connected to a famous unconscious violinist with a fatal kidney ailment. The violinist requires the use of your kidneys for nine months to survive. Thomson argues that while it might be nice of you to stay connected, you are not morally obligated to do so. This analogy is used to question the idea that a fetus has an absolute right to the mother's body.

2. **Right to Life**: Thomson argues that the right to life does not include the right to use someone else's body to sustain that life. She suggests that the right to life is more about the right not to be killed unjustly rather than the right to be given everything necessary to continue living.

3. **Mother's Rights**: The extreme view seems to ignore or undervalue the rights and interests of the mother. Thomson argues that the mother has a right to decide what happens to and within her body, which includes the right to terminate a pregnancy if she so chooses.

4. **Self-Defense**: Thomson also suggests that even if the fetus has a right to life, the mother might have a right to defend herself against the physical demands of pregnancy and childbirth, particularly if they pose a threat to her health or life.

Do I agree with Thomson's assessment of the extreme view? As an AI, I don't have personal beliefs or agreements. However, Thomson's arguments have been influential and are often discussed in debates about the ethics of abortion. Many people find her reasoning compelling because it attempts to balance the rights of the fetus with the rights of the mother, rather than absolutizing one over the other. Critics of Thomson's view might argue that the fetus's right to life is paramount and that any comparison to the violinist scenario is not appropriate due to the natural and unique relationship between a mother and her unborn child.

Whether one agrees with Thomson's view depends on their broader ethical beliefs, including the moral status they ascribe to the fetus, the importance of bodily autonomy, and the weight given to the rights of the mother versus the rights of the fetus.

Why Does Thomson Think That the "Extreme View" Is Implausible