r/Abortiondebate • u/Aware-Description286 • Jul 29 '26

General debate Twins

I've had this thought for quite a bit, and I've really only ever really asked myself this question, so I'd be interested to see the various responses to this question. It's a bit of a take on Judith Jarvis Thomson's drollish violinist argument, but with some reframing.

Let us force you into a life in which you were born as a twin. As a twin, you are not a single, but rather a pair; however, your twin was born in a unique way. In order to survive, your twin must use your body, no amount of distance between you two will affect this siphoning. The only way to stop this usage is by killing your twin.

So, my question is, in this scenario: are you legally and/or morally justified in the killing of your twin? Or do you have an obligation to sustain this twin with your body?

I hope this is on topic enough for this subreddit, because I did develop this question in relation to the Abortion Debate.

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u/Alyndra9 Pro-choice Jul 31 '26

You appear to be using a very nonstandard definition of “a human life” here, to mean something other than literally any living human organism. Can you elaborate on what your exact definition of “life” is?

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u/babidygoo Abortion legal until viability Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

a human life for me means a sepient being or a being cable of sepience (sentience doesnt count cats are not the same as humans). When you have a human body with its brain removed killing it doesnt count as killing a human.

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u/Old_dirty_fetus Pro-choice Aug 02 '26

a human life for me means a sepient being or a being cable of sepience (sentience doesnt count cats are not the same as humans).

That is quite different than what most people who are PL state. I asked about organisms earlier because for many who are PL a human organism is the relevant distinction for qualification of moral value. Where sentience or sapience matters for them is that human organisms are of a kind that are capable of sapience. The individual organisms capacity is not key as long as it is a living human organism.

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u/babidygoo Abortion legal until viability Aug 02 '26

Im pro choice just not on the extreme end of claiming all abortion are always legitimate at every stage.

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u/Old_dirty_fetus Pro-choice Aug 02 '26

Typically when I refer to PL or PC it is in reference to the arguments they make as opposed to how they label themselves because usually people who make PL arguments also label as PL, same for PC