Is it Morally Permissible to Abort a Living Fetus

Is It Morally Permissible to Abort a Living Fetus?

Melinda becomes part of a Space Exploration team. She and twenty others embark on a journey to explore Planet Xenia. Upon arrival at the foreign planet, the space exploration team is attacked by violent aliens with large teeth and tentacles. Melinda and only three of her companions make it back to the escape pod safely. Shortly after their escape from the untamed planet, it is discovered that Melinda has been impregnated by one of the aliens. The team must decide whether it is morally permissible to abort the fetus. Both a utilitarian (act and rule) viewpoint and a Kantian Deontological standpoint must be analyzed to determine the outcome of this unborn fetus.

From a utilitarian point of view, the amount of pain and happiness decides whether the act is morally permissible. In reference to the pain and happiness of the fetus, an act utilitarian would act in favor of the abortion in order to avoid the pain and scrutiny that would accompany the life of a fetus that is half human and half alien. In accordance with the act utilitarian, a rule utilitarian, when acting on behalf of the fetus, would also vote for doing the abortion. This is because under this particular circumstance, the happiness of the group would be maximized by avoiding the unpredictable and risky outcome of birthing a half human, half alien child. The viewpoints stay consistent when considering the happiness of the mother and group. In this case, both the act and rule utilitarians would be in favor of the abortion for mostly the same reasons above; the amount of pain experienced by the mother would be decreased by having to give up her life to care for a baby that will inevitably be scrutinized and made fun of and...

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...ong so aborting the unwanted baby is morally dishonorable.

Both an Act and Rule Utilitarian would abort the baby, while a Kantian Deontologist would side with keeping the unborn fetus, so the final question is, which argument is the preferred theory in the case of the half human half alien baby? Based off of the number of uncertainties in the Act and Rule Utilitarian’s theory, the Kantian Deontologist’s point of view is the preferred theory in this case. It is unknown at this point in the process the total happiness or pain that this child and the mother would endure during the unborn fetus’s life. All that can be looked at is the duty of the mother to care for her child and to view the child as an end in themselves and not as a means to an end. It is clear that keeping the unborn fetus is the morally sound plan of action in pertaining to this delicate situation.