I. Introduction
Abortion has been a controversial issue not only in the United States but also in other parts of the world. People have failed to come up with a consensus whether the legalization of the action should be universal or not. This has opened up a large division within the society based on the position that individuals take within the society. Many of the organizations and entities that have been known to criticize abortion have been religious organizations that have argued that the sanctity of life is something that is worthy protecting. This has caused many people who are supportive of the church to take a pro-life stance. On the contrary, there has been an increase in the number of people and activist groups that are in support of abortion. Some of the arguments that have been put across by these groups include the following ideas. First of all, women may be in the risk of dying if they are not allowed to conduct an abortion in some instances. This means that there are dire circumstances when saving the life of the mother is important. However, the pro-life argue that even the existing fetus also has the right to live as the mother but pro-choice activist see the interests of the mother as being the ones that should be protected in the first place. Secondly, it is important to realize that some of the pregnancies are not planned for. Some of these pregnancies might come at a time when the mother or the persons involved are not prepared. This means that the new born would have to live in constrain because the parents might not prepared financially and physiologically for the new born. In some instances, the birth of the newborn might shutter the dreams of young mothers who might be at times in the process of solidifying their lives either through education or other activities. This means that there is a need for young mothers to conduct an abortion so as not to lead difficult lives in advance. Considering the position of the pro-life and the pro-choice, this paper uses both the utilitarianism and ethical egoism theory to propose a way of resolving this controversial issue. In addition, this paper compares and contrasts the two theories with regards to solving the issue of abortion to come up with a personal inclination about which of the two theories seems closer to my view regarding abortion.
II. Ethicality of the Issue of Abortion
One thing that is important to note is that abortion is note that abortion is not a practice that would be acceptable across many traditions. Life is an element that has been considered as being beyond human control and left to the deity. Therefore, abortion has been seen by many of its opponents as an action that seeks to give human kind a role that he not supposed to take control of. Bearing in mind, that abortion involves the killing of an unborn being, many opponents have criticized as a form of killing which would not be right from an ethical standpoint.
Though there is an ethical concern regarding the justification of the act of abortion the fact remains that the immediate needs of the persons involved takes center stage in the decision making process. This means that the standpoint that people hold with regards to abortion is subject to change depending on how the action of abortion influences the lives of the people involved. For instance, a person brought up in a family that is highly religious is likely to argue that abortion is not right. However, when faced with the situation of unplanned pregnancies the same person is likely to change their perspective regarding abortion if the pregnancy is likely to affect the normal life of the person involved. This means that the position that people hold with regards to controversial issues like abortion are sometimes volatile because people acquire new ideas and opinions over time.
The ever-changing society has also been a contributing force to the increased acceptance of abortion. Unlike the traditional times that morality and aspects of chastity were regarded as being of great value, things have changed. There has been massive degradation of the moral fabric that has been witnessed within modern times. The recent generation and the forces of modernity have over time increased activism that has begun to change the framework that had been upheld by past generations. This means that people today have a more different perspective that they use to look at different issues which was something that was not available in the past society. The view of morality and ethicality has also changed in that today that which increases someone’s happiness and that of the people surrounding them is what really matters. People today are not concerned about the moral value of the actions that they commit but by whether the outcome of these actions is going to create a level of happiness to them. Self-interests have been the major concern of today’s society and not ethics. This argument is supported by the fact many governments and authorities today have set aside funding to be able to sponsor abortion services. This is a clear indication that forces that aimed at degrading the original understanding that was initially in existence during the traditional times has over time been supported by governance. This is contrary to what we would expect of governments bearing in mind that these governments are meant to protect life and uphold both ethics and morality.
Considering the support that abortion has received from both governance and other forces of change within modern society, it is important to look at abortion from a theoretical point of view to be able to explain some of the reasons that justify the continuity of the practice. This paper focuses on two theories to explain this phenomenon. These theories include utilitarianism and ethical egoism.
III. Utilitarianism and Abortion Rights.
First of all, it is important to define the theory of utilitarianism for the purposes of this paper. The word utilitarianism is derived from the root word utility. Utility is the usefulness of a given action. Utilitarianism theory draws its meaning from this root word. The theory of utilitarianism argues that the maximization of happiness from a given action is what really matters. This means that the moral or ethical value comes is not a priority when looking at the outcome of a given action. Putting abortion in this context, it is important to understand that abortion is an action that can be looked at from different perspectives. There are those who would like to look at abortion rights based on morality and ethics. People are likely to observe what they believe to be moral at the expense of their own happiness. However, happiness can be measured in different ways. This means that there those people who would be more happy if they saved the life a growing fetus regardless of whether they are going to suffer or not. This would make them feel happy because it seems as if they have been able to conquer a challenge that many people would not be in a position to handle. This means that the quality of happiness among different people differs across the spectrum. Some of the factors that maximize the level of happiness that people derive from their stand and practice of abortion rights include religion, economic interest, and socio-political needs.
Looking at religion, as one of the factors that determine the level of happiness that is reaped from the stand that people take with regards to abortion rights, it is essential to note that most of the religious institutions across the world tend to believe that life is sacred and that only the deity who is the giver of life has the ability to take away life. One of the things to realize is that even within the church itself; there are diverse interpretations of the scriptures among its members. This means that not all the members of religious institutions would be supportive of not conducting abortion (Currie, 1999, p.41). There are those who believe that man also has a role in shaping his life and that God granted man the power to make choices. This the reason why God granted man more dominion over the other and its content because God created man in a way that he is intellectual enough in dictation whether his actions are good or bad. This is the difference that exists between man the rest of the creation. This means that within the church as a unit, the maximization of the happiness from the upholding or dismissal of abortion rights is shaped by the interpretation of church goers. This means that religion in itself does not have the ability to control the way that people conduct their activities or the happiness that the people reap from activities like using their abortion rights. It is fundamental to realize that it has been witnessed in some instances where people have followed the doctrines and dogmas of their faith but do not do so because they would like to do so. They follow the doctrines of their respective church for the purposes of meeting the standards that are set by their given denominational backgrounds. This means that some people might suffering from the inside yet they might appear to be happy with the stand that the hold with regards to abortion rights.
Culture is also an important element that determines the level of happiness that is reaped from the practice of abortion rights. It is essential to realize that cultures across the world have different understandings and stands with regards to their stand to abortion and the value of life. For instance, there are cultures around the world that have been believed to view the birth of twins as being a bad omen (Boonstra, 2006, p.63). This means that these cultures have overtime been involved in the termination of life yet they regard their actions as being moral and ethical. This affirms the fact that morality is a measure that differs; this means that what a given culture would regard as being ethical might not be the regarded as being ethical within the framework of other cultures. Considering the fact that some cultures have been known to oppress some of its member, it is fundamental to realize that the stand on abortion by some cultures might not provide the maximum happiness to a segment of the society. For instance, many traditions have conformed women into the domestic sphere which means that women are not allowed to be able to actively participate in matters that affect the public sphere of their respective societies. Considering that women are the section of the society that is more affected by the issue of abortion, some cultures might not be willing to grant women the option of exercising the abortion rights that are granted by the existing laws within their own society(Bacon, 2004,p.31). This means that some women are forced to suffer in silence because they would not like to perform actions that are not within the societal expectations. These women might seem to be happy by upholding the expectations of their respective societies but in reality their position with regard to abortion does not match with what their cultures believe in. Therefore, these women continue to suffer on the inside so as to fulfill the happiness and expectations of their immediate society. This means that there are two types of happiness within the cultural framework. There is the happiness that seeks to satisfy the demands of society and there the happiness that causes individual happiness. One thing that is important to realize is that individual happiness is what really matters. Societal gains might not be in a position to maximize the happiness that an individual needs. This is because society tends to provide unequal opportunities to its constituents (Stotlan, 1998, p.24). This means that culture and society might take a give stand with regards to abortion rights but this stand does not reflect the happiness of individual members of that particular society considering the fact that the needs of a given society are diverse.
Looking at socio-economic factors as a force that dictates the level of happiness that people derive from being involved in conduction abortion and supporting abortion rights, it is fundamental to note that the economic stability of an individual might at times directly shape the position that individual takes with regards to abortion. It is essential to realize that people who are economically stable are in a position to access most of the services that are required to successfully conduct abortion services. This means that some of the people who might be against the use of abortion rights might take this stand due to the fact that is expensive for them to be able to pay for dependable abortion services (Lunneburg, 1992, p.11). Therefore, because these people are not in a position to fund and access abortion services they tend to be against abortion rights because they cannot be in a position to access these rights. However, these people do not obtain any happiness from the stand that they uphold with regards to abortion of these rights. In order to increase the level of happiness that people can derive from their optional exercise of their abortion rights, it would be important for governments to be in a position to create funding and support abortion services so that people can make decisions that are going to provide maximum happiness for the participants.
IV. Abortion & Ethical Egoism: A Comparison
Unlike the utilitarianism theory that holds that maximum happiness is the most important thing that one can derive from a given action, ethical egoism maintains that the meeting of self-interests is the most important thing. This means that people have to note that what they believe is right is what matters. No matter the rules and regulations that the society sets, the fact remains that these rules might not be in a position to meet the needs of every individual within that particular society. Therefore, controversial issues like abortion should be left to the individual to decide. This is because these issues do not pose any harm to the immediate society. The individual is the only person who is in a position to dictate whether they would exercise their abortion rights or not.
V. Personal Position : Utilitarianism
Of the two theories, utilitarianism is closer to my personal stand with regards to abortion rights. This is because I believe in a free and fair society that gives every member an opportunity to perform the actions that gives them the maximum happiness. In addition because an issue like abortion does not pose the risk of harm to the larger society, the power to make decisions should be left in the hands of the individual.
VI. Conclusion
In conclusion, abortion is a controversial issue within our society today. However, the diverse positions that people have on the issue make it difficult to come up with a consensus with regards to finding a solution to the problem. However, the fact remains that the individual has the final say in the decision that they make with regards to abortion. This means that the power to make these decisions should left purely to the individual. Both Utilitarianism and ethical egoism theory affirm this stand because both theories argue that maximum happiness from the action of abortion and addressing self-interests within the society are the most important factors in the entire debate regarding abortion rights.
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