J. J. Thomson’s Defense of abortion: A response to the tacit consent objection

As abortion has been a debated moral issue, advocates and objectors held different opinions and stands. One of the most prominent defenses of abortion is Judith Jarvis Thomson’s violinist analogy, which has been challenged by the tacit consent objection. The latter states that a woman, by voluntarily engaging in sexual intercourse, tacitly gives the fetus the right to use her body. In responding to this objection, this paper highlights the ambiguous nature of tacit consent and underlines that such a consent should not be seen as unconditional or irrevocable. That is, as a process in continuous time, a consent given earlier may be revoked later. Overall, this paper defends and emphasizes a woman’s right to bodily autonomy and self-determination by allowing her to withdraw her consent even in the case of a consensual pregnancy.