Utilitarianism And Abortion

Term Paper Title	Utilitarianism And Abortion
# of Words	695
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	2.78

Utilitarianism and Abortion

The question of abortion is one that has no one clear right or wrong answer many people have many different views as to where it is morally correct to have an abortion some people would argue that it is murder and yet the unborn baby has done nothing that would warrant the death penalty and even if it was possible to see what kind of a life that person would lead would it be right to judge them on actions they haven�t taking place yet. Also the question of abortion raises the question of life When is the baby classed as living some people would say that as soon as the sperm enters the egg life is made. Others would say that it is not until they the aware of their Owen existence i.e. when they are born but how do they know that the unborn baby isn�t aware of it�s existence. Whatever the point of view, a way of deciding whether or nor abortion is right or wrong is to apply the principle of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism proposes an approach to ethics based solely on having the consequences of an action in mind when attempting to make a choice based on morality. "The greatest good for the greatest number," john Stuart Mill one of the founders of the principle of utilitarianism points out the importance of making a choice and carrying it out based on consequences which are the most beneficial for the most people. Whether or not an action is right or wrong should be judged on the consequences it has. Mills also pointed out the importance of personal pleasure and fulfillment in life as he placed great emphasis on the achievements and happiness of individuals. It seems that the principle of utilitarianism may be used in the argument whether or not it is right to have an abortion because it goes beyond the question of whether or not the fetus is a person or not. The fairly straightforward view of utilitarianism would hold that the overall consequence would outweigh the question of whether or not ...

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