Introduction
Utilitarianism is an ethical philosophy derived from the term utility, which means “usefulness.” Jeremy Bentham is the primary architect of utilitarianism. The major element of this philosophy is that it seeks to produce a desirable good and satisfaction in the end. The utilitarian approach and consequentialism are the two forms of utilitarianism. Abortion is one of the main moral challenges confronting our society today, and it is unclear if the procedure is immoral or right. First, Jeremy Bentham’s Act utilitarian perspective is the most significant theory in terms of better comprehending the moral dilemma of abortion (Bentham 365). His method is still theological, and he utilizes the outcome of the choice to determine whether it is positive or bad.
Abortion is the removal of a fetus out of the womb even before the delivery date. Utilitarian’s think that people ought to be free to make choices about their own bodies. “Independence is of right absolute over himself over his body and mind, and the individual is sovereign.” (Clarke and Savulescu 15). The repercussions of one’s acts are what matter most, according to the utilitarian notion popularized by Jeremy Bentham (Bentham 365). The source of happiness is the absence of suffering. Pregnancy can be ended before the unborn child is able to feel pain, allowing for a better outcome for the mother. The fetus displays no symptoms of consciousness until it is at least two or three months old. If the pregnancy is unplanned and the parents are under financial stress, this may occur. Stress and pancreatitis would be reduced as a result of abortion, which would lead to more pleasure.
Cowburn “uses pleasure and pain to describe the consequences of various actions and dilemmas.” (Cowburn et al. 106). Starting with whether or not the mother’s well-being is in jeopardy. In other words, it doesn’t matter how many people live there. This necessitates the termination of pregnancy in order to rescue the mother. The mother’s life is more valuable than that of the fetus in this circumstance since she has already been a member of society, to put it another way. Intrinsic rewards and lesser pleasures are two distinct categories of pleasure. Because of this, the mother enjoys a higher level of pleasure than the unborn fetus. The interests of a developing fetus differ significantly from those of an adult human being.
Fetal quality is another area of concern. A kid born to a rape victim would be devastating to the mother’s mental well-being (Lazari-Radek and Singer 6). In this instance, an abortion would be moral because the child’s future might be less pleasant without it. It is because the ordinary maternal attachment and affection that normally develops between mother and child will be replaced with an undesired relationship between the mother and the kid (Klugman 10). The kid will suffer as a result of the mother’s trauma and the environment she creates for the child. As a result, the maxim of maximizing the well-being of the largest number of people is unable to be realized because both the kid and the mother would suffer.
Conclusion
In conclusion, abortion is morally permissible if it brings happiness or pleasure or gains to most people. Because the fetus isn’t regarded as more valuable than the mother, it has no legal rights or interests of its own. Advocates for more pleasure and less suffering, which leads to more satisfaction in the long term. When a child is brought into the world, it will bring good karma. For example, a child who is too young to be in school or at work may be jeopardizing his or her education or job because of the law’s strictness. The level of comfort is proportional to the number of people whose lives are impacted by the influence of another kid on the rest of the family. With this method, you may make a decision in a matter of minutes because it is easy to estimate costs in a few minutes.
Work Cited
Bentham, Jeremy. “An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation.” Princeton Readings in Political Thought, 2018, pp. 365-368.
Clarke, Steve, and Julian Savulescu. “Rethinking our Assumptions about Moral Status.” Rethinking Moral Status, 2021, pp. 1-20.
Cowburn, Malcolm, et al. Research Ethics in Criminology: Dilemmas, Issues, and Solutions. 2016.
Klugman, Craig M. “Recognizing Ethical Terms, Theories, and Principles.” Ethical Competence in Nursing Practice, 2016.
Lazari-Radek, Katarzyna D., and Peter Singer. Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford UP, 2017.
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