In the essay “Why Abortion is Immoral,” philosopher Don Marquis uses utilitarian principles to argue that “abortion is, except in rare cases, seriously immoral…[and] in the same category as killing an innocent human being” (223). However, he deliberately avoids relating his thesis to abortion in the specific contexts of rape, maternal death, and severe postpartum health complications. Thus, in my analysis of his claim, I plan on adopting Marquis’ utilitarian perspective to evaluate the permissibility of abortion in regard to these delicate scenarios. I will begin my paper by giving a brief summary of “Why Abortion is Immoral.” Then, I will recapitulate the basic foundations of utilitarianism and finally, delve into my assessment.
1. Summary
Marquis precedes his argument concerning the philosophical immorality of abortion by summarizing the arguments of both those who favor strict restrictions on abortion and …show more content…
It is a form of consequentialism (i.e. the morality of an action should be judged by its consequences) which states that “an act is right if and only if when compared with all options, it maximizes the existence of pleasure in the whole world” (Bentham). In simpler terms, utilitarianism advocates for the “greatest good for the greatest number.” For example, say you were trapped in a falling elevator with five individuals. You have two options: 1) Kill one of the occupants so the elevator can stop its rapid descent and the remaining five people can get to safety; or 2) refuse to harm anyone but have everyone (including yourself) die from the impact of the elevator striking the ground. What should you do? A utilitarian, after calculating the pleasure (i.e. utility) each possible scenario produces or diminishes, would believe that you should kill an occupant as one death results in less disutility than six
1. Summary
Marquis precedes his argument concerning the philosophical immorality of abortion by summarizing the arguments of both those who favor strict restrictions on abortion and …show more content…
It is a form of consequentialism (i.e. the morality of an action should be judged by its consequences) which states that “an act is right if and only if when compared with all options, it maximizes the existence of pleasure in the whole world” (Bentham). In simpler terms, utilitarianism advocates for the “greatest good for the greatest number.” For example, say you were trapped in a falling elevator with five individuals. You have two options: 1) Kill one of the occupants so the elevator can stop its rapid descent and the remaining five people can get to safety; or 2) refuse to harm anyone but have everyone (including yourself) die from the impact of the elevator striking the ground. What should you do? A utilitarian, after calculating the pleasure (i.e. utility) each possible scenario produces or diminishes, would believe that you should kill an occupant as one death results in less disutility than six