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Essay on utilitarianism ethics
Utilitarianism ethics
Utilitarianism ethics
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One ethical theory in utilitarianism, this looks at the overall good of the people involved, it balance the good of keeping the child and the good of having an abortion. If having an abortion is justified by the hedonic calculus, the overall happiness brings about the greatest good, and then the abortion should be done. One example is if a woman gets pregnant and she can’t afford to look after it or it would affect her career, then the best thing for the foetus and the mother would be termination, this would be justified in the hedonic calculus. Another type of utilitarianism is preference utilitarianism; this type looks more at what the foetus would prefer which would be to live, however in cases of server disability the foetus would desire
less than a healthy one. It also looks at the preference of the mother, and if they want to have a child. The last type is ideal utilitarianism; they reject the quality of life argument. Ideal utilitarianism bases its idea on justice, it the mother go pregnant preforming a consensual act then she does not have the right to end a life, however if it was no consensual or the foetus could cause harm to the mother she has the right to abort.
Patrick Lee and Robert P. George’s, “The Wrong of Abortion” is a contentious composition that argues the choice of abortion is objectively unethical. Throughout their composition, Lee and George use credibility and reason to appeal the immorality of abortions. The use of these two methods of persuasion are effective and compels the reader to consider the ethical significance. Lee and George construct their argument by disputing different theories that would justify abortions. They challenge the ontological and evaluation theories of the fetus, as well as the unintentional killing theory. This article was obtained through Google, in the form of a PDF file that is associated with Iowa State University.
There are many factors that are taken into consideration when determining if abortion is morally permissible, or wrong including; sentience of the fetus, the fetuses right to life, the difference between adult human beings and fetuses, the autonomy of the pregnant woman, and the legality of abortion. Don Marquis argues that abortion is always morally wrong, excluding cases in which the woman is threatened by pregnancy, or abortion after rape, because fetuses have a valuable future. Mary Anne Warren contends that late term abortions are morally permissible because birth is the most significant event for a fetus, and a woman’s autonomy should never be suspended.
In order to understand the true utility of allowing abortion on-demand, one must weigh all the consequences it creates. It seems though that we have not appropriately measured the consequences of ensuring abortion on-demand. Questions: What is the difference between How is doublethink mutually exclusive with the correct use of utilitarian theory? What positive consequences, if any, come from ensuring abortion-on-demand? How does one ensure that every child is a healthy child?
In Scenario II, it is more difficult to discern exactly what an (Act) Utilitarian would say about the morality of the choices made since these choices bring pain in suffering to a greater number of people. The loss of three fetuses, that were not otherwise going to be aborted, would have a tremendous effect on many people. The mothers and their families would experience a great deal of pain and suffering over this loss. However, when weighed with the happiness brought to thousand of cured people, a Utilitarian would say the acts were moral. Since utilitarianism states that in any situation where there is a moral choice to make, the right thing to do is that which is likely to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
The utilitarian faces many problems because he loses any ability to live a personal life. By this is meant that in making decisions the utilitarian must consider the steps which lead to the highest level of goodness in society. The utilitarian reaches for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Two main aspects dominate the light of utilitarian beliefs. The consequentialist principle explains that in determining the rightness or wrongness of an act one must examine the results that will follow. The utility principle is that you can only deem something to be good if it in itself will bring upon a specific desired state, such as happiness or fulfillment. There are two types of utilitarians: Act utilitarians and Rule utilitarians. An act utilitarian believes that a person must think things through before making a decision. The only exception to this idea applies with rules of thumb; decisions that need to be made spontaneously. The right act is the one that results in the most utility. Rule utilitarians believe that an act is only deemed appropriate if it fits in line with the outline of valid rules within a system of rules that target the most favorable outcome.
Many arguments in the abortion debate assume that the morality of abortion depends upon the moral status of the foetus. While I regard the moral status of the foetus as important, it is not the central issue that determines the moral justifiability of abortion. The foetus may be awarded a level of moral status, nevertheless, such status does not result in the prescription of a set moral judgement. As with many morally significant issues, there are competing interests and a variety of possible outcomes that need to be considered when making a moral judgement on abortion. While we need to determine the moral status of the foetus in order to establish the type of entity we are dealing with, it does not, however, exist in a moral vacuum. There are other key issues requiring attention, such as the moral status and interests of the pregnant woman who may desire an abortion, and importantly, the likely consequences of aborting or not aborting a particular foetus. Furthermore, I assert that moral status should be awarded as a matter of degree, based upon the capacities of sentience and self-consciousness an entity possesses. In a bid to reach a coherent conclusion on the issue, the moral status of both foetus and woman, along with the likely results of aborting a particular foetus, must be considered together. Given the multiple facets requiring consideration, I assert that utilitarianism (Mill 1863) offers a coherent framework for weighing and comparing the inputs across a variety of situations, which can determine whether it is ever morally justifiable to have an abortion.
“Any American born after 1973 is a survivor of legalized abortion” (“Abortion”). This quote struck me because of its frankness. After it was legalized, many women had an option to abort their pregnancy against the Catholic Church’s wishes. Any child that was born after that year could have been aborted. This shows that many of the people that are living today could have been killed simply because the mother did not want them and they were considered to not be living in the womb. Being here today, many people survived the mass murder that is abortion and still continues today. The Church urges every mother to think about the morals and laws that God has sent to us. “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13). This includes the fetus in the womb that has been alive since conception. The views of the Church and the views of society fight against each other constantly. Abortion is the killing of a human being and is accepted by modern society despite it being against the teachings of the Church and moral good.
Abortion has been one of the hottest political issues over a number of years. The issue of abortion is a huge debate between pro-lifers, people against abortion, and pro-choicers, people who support abortion. Since the Roe v. Wade court case in 1973, which legalized abortion, laws dealing with abortion have been altered in each individual state. Due to these laws, organizations such as the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Feminists for Life of America (FFL), have been created to debate the issues of abortion and stand up for what they believe. The laws in Pennsylvania and the Christian Bible have their own perspective on this “hot button” topic of abortion. These sources have similar and opposing opinions that offer a never-ending argument on this issue.
In our society, there are many ethical dilemmas that we are faced with that are virtually impossible to solve. One of the most difficult and controversial issues that we are faced with is abortion. There are many strong arguments both for and against the right to have an abortion which are so complicated that it becomes impossible to resolve. The complexity of this issue lies in the different aspects of the argument. The essence of a person, rights, and who is entitled to these rights, are a few of the many aspects which are very difficult to define. There are also issues of what circumstances would justify abortion. Because the issue of abortion is virtually impossible to solve, all one can hope to do is understand the different aspects of the argument so that if he or she is faced with that issue in their own lives, they would be able to make educated and thoughtful decisions in dealing with it.
Abortion is a voluminous topic today all around the world. Differing viewpoints on abortion are recognized in politics, religion, and throughout the general population. There is a small amount of people who are nonchalant on the subject. Women have abortions for many different reasons and according to certain groups these reasons are either justified or not. Everyone tends to have their own articulated opinion, and many vocalize tenaciously what they believe. Pro-life individuals along with religion are sanguine that abortion is ethically and morally erroneous. Whereas those who are pro-choice say that abortion is inconsequential and the mother’s choice is more important than the fetus. Reasons to not get an abortion include risks involved in receiving an abortion. In some cases death can occur. However, there are other alternatives to abortion. For example, raising the child and adoption.
The permissibility of abortion has been a crucial topic for debates for many years. People have yet to agree upon a stance on whether abortion is morally just. This country is divided into two groups, believers in a woman’s choice to have an abortion and those who stand for the fetus’s right to live. More commonly these stances are labeled as pro-choice and pro-life. The traditional argument for each side is based upon whether a fetus has a right to life. Complications occur because the qualifications of what gives something a right to life is not agreed upon. The pro-choice argument asserts that only people, not fetuses, have a right to life. The pro-life argument claims that fetuses are human beings and therefore they have a right to life. Philosopher, Judith Jarvis Thomson, rejects this traditional reasoning because the right of the mother is not brought into consideration. Thomson prepares two theses to explain her reasoning for being pro-choice; “A right to life does not entail the right to use your body to stay alive” and “In the majority of cases it is not morally required that you carry a fetus to term.”
Abortion once only discussed in the privacy of your own homes, behind closed doors or in secrecy has been brought to the forefront and has become an open forum for government officials, pro-life and pro-choice organizations. The topic of abortion in America has become very high strung among various religious groups and pro-life organizations protesting against abortion, questioning the fourteenth amendment and the idea of personhood. The fourteenth amendment states that "...neither the U.S. nor any state shall deny a citizen life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness..." Yet, the most controversial issue of the abortion debate is whether or not the fetus is seen as a person. If the fetus is seen as a “person/citizen” then they are entitled to individual inalienable rights given to us and bound by the Constitution. Furthermore, if the court recognizes that the fetus is in fact a person/citizen then their inalienable constitutional rights have to be addressed. When deciphering between the legality abortion and the rights of the fetal citizen, what is the responsibility of the physicians and clinics to deter abortions; and should physicians be required to provide 4-D ultrasounds to their patients electing voluntary abortions? The answer to these questions are simple, abortion clinics and physicians need to be required to provide 4-D ultrasounds to patients electing voluntary termination to deter abortions. In this paper, I will define personhood, the fourteenth amendment and it relationship to abortion, as well as, the requirements of clinics and physicians offering abortion. Hopefully, by the end of this paper you will understand what personhood is and what it means personally to me, as well as understand the new age arm’s reach ...
Statistics have shown that 1.21 million abortions happen each year; however, having an abortion may lead to serious side effects such as abdominal pain, cramps, and even internal bleeding. Having an abortion could be a life or death situation; before having an abortion, you should really choose wisely. In fact most people have a really hard time on making the big decision. This paper will provide you more information about the moral affects of abortions.
Abortion may appear ethical or unethical depending on various viewpoints and circumstances. The fetus is considered a person and bringing it to term may be unethical as the act is considered as murder. In some situations, the mother may require to terminate a pregnancy for her bodily autonomy (Johnston, 2003). In such positions, the resolution to terminate a pregnancy may be argued as the most ethical choice. The mother is also considered to having a reasonable level of ethical responsibility to the fetus, because she did not take enough precaution to ensure avoiding conception (Cline, 2014). The mother’s ethical responsibility to the fetus may not be enough to deprive her choice of abortion; it...
In Aristotle point of view abortion would be considered morality wrong because he believes everyone has a person and we were designed for a purpose. Virtue of Ethics “can evaluate the morality of behavior by examining the moral character that such behavior produces” (Velasquez 488). According to Smith abortion is wrong because it promotes a moral character ‘characterized by careless, irresponsibility, dishonesty, and lack of principles” (Velasquez 488). This theory emphasizes that everyone should take responsibility for their actions and that our choices defined our character. I tend to agree with this we are all responsible for our actions and those actions tend to have consequences that tend to affect us personality. This view reminds me of the view of adultery cover in this chapter someone who commits adultery also says a lot about their character because it shows that we cannot trust on this person because they just can keep their word or because they are your seeking pleasure without really considering the consequences and who they can affect.