Judith Jarvis Thomson
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Judith Jarvis Thomson (October 4, 1929 November 20, 2020) was an American philosopher who studied and worked on ethics and metaphysics. She is credited with having contributing to invent (along with Philippa Foot) the trolley problem.
Philosophical views
Thomson's main areas of research were moral philosophy and metaphysics. In moral philosophy she has made significant contributions to meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.
"A Defense of Abortion" (1971) introduces one thought experiment for which Thomson is especially well known. The paper asks the reader to imagine that her circulatory system has, without her consent, been connected to that of a famous violinist whose life she must sustain for nine months. Philosopher Ben Burgis argues that the paper redirects philosophical attention from the rights of the fetus to that of the pregnant woman.
In response to "A Defense of Abortion", Philippa Foot argued that negative non-provision of service, as in the case of the violinist, is different from active killing, or interference, as in abortion. John Finnis replied to "A Defense of Abortion" in "The Rights and Wrongs of Abortion: A Reply to Judith Thomson".
