Feminist Interpretations of Thomas Hobbes and the Abortion Debate

Book excerpt: I argue that abortion law should be centered around the mother’s dominion over the child pre-viability and because of that, far less restrictive. Given the dominion of the mother over the child throughout the pregnancy, the state would only be allowed intrusion of her right to choose just at the point of viability. At the point of viability, this changes because the mother’s right to self-preservation can only permit her to get an abortion at the point of viability if her life is also at risk. Self-preservation according to Hobbes is the second law of nature.