Essay - Philosophy - Utilitarianism & Abortion Utilitarianism and the Moral Argument...

Philosophy - Utilitarianism & Abortion

***** AND THE MORAL ARGUMENT ON ABORTION

Utilitarianism is often criticized as a moral theory because rights are conditional, i.e., they are respected only as long ***** doing so does not conflict with "the greatest good for the greatest number." Just ***** th***** rea*****n, many expect utilitarians to be relatively permissive about access to abortion. Do you agree? *****ify your answer by drawing on the views of Callahan, Sumner, and Wer*****imer. Yes. From the utilitarian perspective, what matters most is the outcome of moral choices. In general, even if ***** particular act under consideration violates some objective right or m*****al principle, that act is justified nevertheless, if its outcome is beneficial to more people than it is harmful.

***** points out that ***** ***** neither f*****ually right nor wrong in and ***** itself, but only takes on moral significance by virtue of how *****e responds to the problem.

*****, Sumner suggests that ***** moral problem of abortion is as much a matter of social policy and politics ***** it is a m*****tter ***** personal considerations. In his view, abortion must be viewed in relation to the social implications of the relative cost to society and to other *****dividuals in add*****ion to consideration from the perspective ***** the woman or ***** fetus. Callahan also emphasizes that the m*****al implications of ***** must incorporate consideration for the individual ***** and *****st interests of the woman.

According ***** Callahan, the position ***** the Catholic Church ignores those issues and conceives of the moral ***** as limited to ***** well-being of the fetus. Furthermore, the ***** position is not predicated on ***** rights ***** the ***** either, but on the supposed sanctity of its life as an incarnation ***** God the Creator. In this respect,

Callah***** strongly favors a utilit*****rian analysis that would evaluate the morality of abortion on the circumstances ***** the pregnancy, ***** well-being of the m*****, and the ratio of benefit to harm caused ***** others instead ***** being dictated by an a priori rule against all forms and justifications for abortion on *****. In *****, a utilitarian analysis ***** consider the interests of everyone affected by ***** prospective abortion, including the mo*****r, the family, and society as a whole, in addition to ***** affect of the decision on the fetus. ***** the utilitarian perspective, a newly fertilized human ovum (or zygote) would probably not be entitled to any ***** *****fore developing sufficiently ***** be capable of experiencing discomfort, pain, and, more generally, sentience.

Prior to this stage, the ***** ***** on ***** would likely be that ********** h***** no greater moral duty ***** preserve a newly fertilized ***** ***** one h*****s any moral duty to create a pregn*****ncy in the first place. By contrast, the Catholic Church (among o*****rs) views the moral obligation to any ***** human embryo as inherent ***** of the moment of conception, rather than as a function ***** ***** comparison of relative *****, harms, or benefits. Likewise, this religious point *****