Utilitarian View On Abortion
There have been various arguments for and against abortion. But it is imperative to define the term abortion as this would throw more light on the debates on abortion by moral philosophers and others on the issue. Abortion is the deliberate removal of a woman’s foetus in a medical procedure (Grimes and Stuart, 2010). Abortion can be debated from various angles, especially from the pro-choice and pro-life advocates. The pro-life advocates are of the view that no foetus should be terminated, irrespective of the situation surrounding its birth. This argument is from the belief by Christians in the sacredness of life and that every child has the right to live. The pro-choice campaigners on the other hand are of the premise that a woman should be
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given the choice of whether or not she wants an abortion. They believe the government should allow a woman to abort her child if her life or health is threatened. This argument can be viewed in the living vs living debate as this entails choosing whose life is more valuable( Mills, 2003).
Abortion law in the United Kingdom is enacted on the premise that a foetus can be alive over 24 weeks through the care of health professionals. Also, the law states that a woman can have an abortion if more than one doctor advised that to keep the foetus would be detrimental to the body and mind of the mother and the wellbeing of other relations (The 1967 Abortion Act, 1991). This law can be said to be flawed because there are variations on how doctors give advice to their patients with regards to this law. The perspective from this law is that a woman can be allowed or denied an abortion based on where she lives and not on her condition.
Also, a doctor not showing empathy to a woman wanting privacy with regard to having an abortion and achieving this at an exorbitant cost are some of the challenges women faced in being granted the right to have an abortion. Over 10% of women in England and Wales are made to bear the cost of having an abortion (Anon, 2016).
Furthermore, the interference from the government in the choices that people make could lead to an unpleasant situation. Abortion should be legalised as this would give an individual their right as it is the individual’s prerogative to do what they deemed right with their body (Mills, 2003).
However, from the medical perspective, there are diverse views on abortion, especially from doctors. Doctors are bound by oath to offer the best advice to the mother that favours her in terms of the right approach in deciding on whom to save between the mother and the foetus (Anon, 2016).
In deciding whether a woman should terminate her foetus or keep it, whether ethical correct or not, her rights and responsibilities should be considered. Rights are an individual’s freedom to choose what they want without being stopped. The individual’s right to take an action, speak their minds on issues and bring their thoughts to play without duress is very crucial in the choice between rights and wrongs. Responsibility is an individual’s given assignment to undertake certain duties with regards to taking decisions and learning to live with the consequences (BBC, 2013). Also, in the debate on abortion, a woman’s consent is very vital. Consent has to do with an individual agreeing to have a procedure carried out base on given information. Consent must be freewill, informed and the person must have the capacity to make the decision. If an individual is treated by medical personnel without their consent, this could be classed as a battery crime in English law and termed as assault in Scotland (Mason and Laurie, 2010).
Some campaigners for abortion believe that a woman has complete control in deciding whether she wants an abortion or not. This is because the right to her body belongs to her. From this perspective, there seemed to be a feminist view to this argument (Thomson, 1971).A woman’s right to terminate her child is her choice, but there should be evidence to show that it is not advantageous to risk the mother’s life for it. Also, safeguarding the foetus should be the primary concern in some cases to achieve the desired result (Singer, 1986). Finally, on rights, a woman has the right to the integrity of her body and should be given the right to choose whether to have abortion or not (Mills, 2003).
There are various views on abortion by moral philosophers such as the deontologist, utilitarianism, and libertarian. Deontologists (duty based) philosophers are particular about what we do and not the consequence of our actions. They believe in doing the right thing, no matter the condition involved. They are of the opinion that it is the responsibility of parents to cater for the needs of their kids, without resorting to abortion. These moral philosophers hold the view that the foetus should not be a means to achieve aimed objectives, but as the means itself. Because deontology is duty based, they believe a woman that wants an abortion fails to carry out her duty to the foetus. Our duties are our responsibilities and not the options we choose to follow for our own convenience (Anon, 2012). Also, the deontologists have a pro-life view on abortion. They believe abortion is wrong based on the premise that the foetus has life and by terminating that life, it is considered as a means to achieve the desires of the parties involved and not that of the foetus (Vaughn, 2010).
Utilitarian moral philosophers deal with final results or consequences of abortion.
Philosophers with utilitarian views would argue about whether abortion would be for the greater good for the family, individual and the society at large. With utilitarianism, there is no wrong doing in denying a woman an abortion, if it is for the good of society. John Stuart Mills, one of the strong advocates of the utilitarian theory, fought against age- long beliefs that abortion was demonic but rather the end results make allowances for the action (Mills, 2003). These philosophers hold the belief that a person’s action can be termed right, if it gives joy and not right if it produces sadness. They hold firmly to the view on the greater good for all. Utilitarian view on abortion would be that a foetus should be aborted if it would benefit the world’s population. For instance, they believe if parents cannot cater for the needs of a child, there should be no need to bring the child into the world, rather than the child being a burden on society. Also, utilitarianism would not allow abortion if it would hurt the society (Anon, 2013). They are in support of the end results, if a woman having an abortion would change the society for good. To these philosophers, to have an abortion for one’s gain would not be good for society. They believe it would be to the advantage of the society to deny a woman an abortion if it would benefit others (BBC, …show more content…
20013).
Libertarian moral philosophers advocate support for a person’s right to freedom and reduce the part played by the government in interfering in a person’s life. In the abortion debate, few of these philosophers are advocates for the law to decide whether a person can have an abortion as a means of fighting for the right of the individual. This has to do with the woman’s right to do what she wants with her body (Bandow, 1994). They believe that a foetus cannot be said to have a right when it is still in the mother’s womb. Abortion, they hold, should be the exclusive decision of the woman and nothing short of this should be considered, whether morally wrong or right (Rand, 1990). Also, they are of the opinion that because the government has not done much to support women having abortion, then it not interfere with their decision regarding having an abortion. They stand by their view that government is the problem facing the issue of abortion (Browne, 1998).
From the ethical perspective of moral philosophers, women’s rights are sometimes misrepresented in society. Their rights are not viewed from the moral standpoint, but from a political view. There is also the wrong notion that a woman should have an abortion if she does not have the financial or family support (Anon, 2016).
Religions have diverse views on the issue of abortion.
Hinduism is one among the various religions that advocates for abortion. They view abortion in the context of utilitarianism. Hinduism would observe the whole process of abortion and decide which process would be less harmful to the couple, baby and society at large (BBC, 2013). This religion view abortion as violating the right of an individual to perform their duty of reproducing to preserver linage of the parents and increasing the population of the society. However, there are some cases in Hinduism, especially in India, when this view is changed because of the culture of preferring male children to female ones (Anon,
1989).
Abortion is seen from the Buddhist stand as taking a life and does not give a positive nod to the teaching of Buddha. On the other hand, there would be situations where these views would be changed, especially if the child has health problems and becomes a burden to the parents (Erricker, cited in Hodder and Stoughton, 1995: 119).
The religion of Islam is against abortion as instructed in the Holy Al Quran. Islamists believe that human life actually starts at the point of fertilisation of the embryo and that the creator of the foetus is God. God instructed Islamists not to terminate a person’s life which is sacred (Al Quran6 verse 151).
Christians believe in the sacredness of life and are against abortion, under any circumstances. They believe that life was created by God to reflect his person (Genesis 1: 26- 27).
In conclusion, every child has the right to live and should be saved and given the opportunity to live. Abortion is not the solution to the determining whether a woman should be given the right to abort her child or not. But if a woman should choose an abortion as a result of her health, then she should be given the necessary support to undergo the process.
REFERENCE LIST
Bandow, D. (1994) The Politics of Envy: Statism vs Theology, Transaction Publishers.
Grimes, D. A. and Stuart, G. (2010) “Abortion Jabberwocky: The Need for Better Terminology”, Contraception, 81(2): 93-96.
Kerstein, S. J. (2002) Kant’s Search for the Supreme Principle of Morality.
Mills, J. S.( 2003) Utilitarianism, Massachussetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Rand, A. (1990) The Voice OF Reason: Essays in Objectivist Thought
Steiner, H. (1994) An Essay on Rights, Oxford: Blackwell.
Singer, P. (1986) Applied Ethics, Oxford.
Thomson, J. J.( 1971) A Defence of Abortion.
Tucker, H. (2011) Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution, W. W. Norton and Company.
Vaughn, L. (2010) Doing Ethics, W.W. Norton and Company, New York.
given the choice of whether or not she wants an abortion. They believe the government should allow a woman to abort her child if her life or health is threatened. This argument can be viewed in the living vs living debate as this entails choosing whose life is more valuable( Mills, 2003).
Abortion law in the United Kingdom is enacted on the premise that a foetus can be alive over 24 weeks through the care of health professionals. Also, the law states that a woman can have an abortion if more than one doctor advised that to keep the foetus would be detrimental to the body and mind of the mother and the wellbeing of other relations (The 1967 Abortion Act, 1991). This law can be said to be flawed because there are variations on how doctors give advice to their patients with regards to this law. The perspective from this law is that a woman can be allowed or denied an abortion based on where she lives and not on her condition.
Also, a doctor not showing empathy to a woman wanting privacy with regard to having an abortion and achieving this at an exorbitant cost are some of the challenges women faced in being granted the right to have an abortion. Over 10% of women in England and Wales are made to bear the cost of having an abortion (Anon, 2016).
Furthermore, the interference from the government in the choices that people make could lead to an unpleasant situation. Abortion should be legalised as this would give an individual their right as it is the individual’s prerogative to do what they deemed right with their body (Mills, 2003).
However, from the medical perspective, there are diverse views on abortion, especially from doctors. Doctors are bound by oath to offer the best advice to the mother that favours her in terms of the right approach in deciding on whom to save between the mother and the foetus (Anon, 2016).
In deciding whether a woman should terminate her foetus or keep it, whether ethical correct or not, her rights and responsibilities should be considered. Rights are an individual’s freedom to choose what they want without being stopped. The individual’s right to take an action, speak their minds on issues and bring their thoughts to play without duress is very crucial in the choice between rights and wrongs. Responsibility is an individual’s given assignment to undertake certain duties with regards to taking decisions and learning to live with the consequences (BBC, 2013). Also, in the debate on abortion, a woman’s consent is very vital. Consent has to do with an individual agreeing to have a procedure carried out base on given information. Consent must be freewill, informed and the person must have the capacity to make the decision. If an individual is treated by medical personnel without their consent, this could be classed as a battery crime in English law and termed as assault in Scotland (Mason and Laurie, 2010).
Some campaigners for abortion believe that a woman has complete control in deciding whether she wants an abortion or not. This is because the right to her body belongs to her. From this perspective, there seemed to be a feminist view to this argument (Thomson, 1971).A woman’s right to terminate her child is her choice, but there should be evidence to show that it is not advantageous to risk the mother’s life for it. Also, safeguarding the foetus should be the primary concern in some cases to achieve the desired result (Singer, 1986). Finally, on rights, a woman has the right to the integrity of her body and should be given the right to choose whether to have abortion or not (Mills, 2003).
There are various views on abortion by moral philosophers such as the deontologist, utilitarianism, and libertarian. Deontologists (duty based) philosophers are particular about what we do and not the consequence of our actions. They believe in doing the right thing, no matter the condition involved. They are of the opinion that it is the responsibility of parents to cater for the needs of their kids, without resorting to abortion. These moral philosophers hold the view that the foetus should not be a means to achieve aimed objectives, but as the means itself. Because deontology is duty based, they believe a woman that wants an abortion fails to carry out her duty to the foetus. Our duties are our responsibilities and not the options we choose to follow for our own convenience (Anon, 2012). Also, the deontologists have a pro-life view on abortion. They believe abortion is wrong based on the premise that the foetus has life and by terminating that life, it is considered as a means to achieve the desires of the parties involved and not that of the foetus (Vaughn, 2010).
Utilitarian moral philosophers deal with final results or consequences of abortion.
Philosophers with utilitarian views would argue about whether abortion would be for the greater good for the family, individual and the society at large. With utilitarianism, there is no wrong doing in denying a woman an abortion, if it is for the good of society. John Stuart Mills, one of the strong advocates of the utilitarian theory, fought against age- long beliefs that abortion was demonic but rather the end results make allowances for the action (Mills, 2003). These philosophers hold the belief that a person’s action can be termed right, if it gives joy and not right if it produces sadness. They hold firmly to the view on the greater good for all. Utilitarian view on abortion would be that a foetus should be aborted if it would benefit the world’s population. For instance, they believe if parents cannot cater for the needs of a child, there should be no need to bring the child into the world, rather than the child being a burden on society. Also, utilitarianism would not allow abortion if it would hurt the society (Anon, 2013). They are in support of the end results, if a woman having an abortion would change the society for good. To these philosophers, to have an abortion for one’s gain would not be good for society. They believe it would be to the advantage of the society to deny a woman an abortion if it would benefit others (BBC, …show more content…
20013).
Libertarian moral philosophers advocate support for a person’s right to freedom and reduce the part played by the government in interfering in a person’s life. In the abortion debate, few of these philosophers are advocates for the law to decide whether a person can have an abortion as a means of fighting for the right of the individual. This has to do with the woman’s right to do what she wants with her body (Bandow, 1994). They believe that a foetus cannot be said to have a right when it is still in the mother’s womb. Abortion, they hold, should be the exclusive decision of the woman and nothing short of this should be considered, whether morally wrong or right (Rand, 1990). Also, they are of the opinion that because the government has not done much to support women having abortion, then it not interfere with their decision regarding having an abortion. They stand by their view that government is the problem facing the issue of abortion (Browne, 1998).
From the ethical perspective of moral philosophers, women’s rights are sometimes misrepresented in society. Their rights are not viewed from the moral standpoint, but from a political view. There is also the wrong notion that a woman should have an abortion if she does not have the financial or family support (Anon, 2016).
Religions have diverse views on the issue of abortion.
Hinduism is one among the various religions that advocates for abortion. They view abortion in the context of utilitarianism. Hinduism would observe the whole process of abortion and decide which process would be less harmful to the couple, baby and society at large (BBC, 2013). This religion view abortion as violating the right of an individual to perform their duty of reproducing to preserver linage of the parents and increasing the population of the society. However, there are some cases in Hinduism, especially in India, when this view is changed because of the culture of preferring male children to female ones (Anon,
1989).
Abortion is seen from the Buddhist stand as taking a life and does not give a positive nod to the teaching of Buddha. On the other hand, there would be situations where these views would be changed, especially if the child has health problems and becomes a burden to the parents (Erricker, cited in Hodder and Stoughton, 1995: 119).
The religion of Islam is against abortion as instructed in the Holy Al Quran. Islamists believe that human life actually starts at the point of fertilisation of the embryo and that the creator of the foetus is God. God instructed Islamists not to terminate a person’s life which is sacred (Al Quran6 verse 151).
Christians believe in the sacredness of life and are against abortion, under any circumstances. They believe that life was created by God to reflect his person (Genesis 1: 26- 27).
In conclusion, every child has the right to live and should be saved and given the opportunity to live. Abortion is not the solution to the determining whether a woman should be given the right to abort her child or not. But if a woman should choose an abortion as a result of her health, then she should be given the necessary support to undergo the process.
REFERENCE LIST
Bandow, D. (1994) The Politics of Envy: Statism vs Theology, Transaction Publishers.
Grimes, D. A. and Stuart, G. (2010) “Abortion Jabberwocky: The Need for Better Terminology”, Contraception, 81(2): 93-96.
Kerstein, S. J. (2002) Kant’s Search for the Supreme Principle of Morality.
Mills, J. S.( 2003) Utilitarianism, Massachussetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Rand, A. (1990) The Voice OF Reason: Essays in Objectivist Thought
Steiner, H. (1994) An Essay on Rights, Oxford: Blackwell.
Singer, P. (1986) Applied Ethics, Oxford.
Thomson, J. J.( 1971) A Defence of Abortion.
Tucker, H. (2011) Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution, W. W. Norton and Company.
Vaughn, L. (2010) Doing Ethics, W.W. Norton and Company, New York.