Abortion

I accept my opponents framework of utilitarianism, And agree that this debate shall be centered on a utilitarian view on morality. Since my opponent did not clarify which form of utilitarianism view that will be used in this debate, I will assume, And base my arguments upon, The strong rule utilitarianism view. The rule utilitarianism view will, By the moral standards of utilitarianism, Create the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long term [1]. Also, For the sake of clarification, I believe that Abortion should be both illegal, And is immoral. Not, However, That abortion should be illegal because it"s immoral. Since this debate is to be conducted in a manner that views morality in a rule utilitarianistic way I must make the case that the greatest amount of good will come to the greatest amount of people if abortion was illegal. This entails that by banning abortion outright, The majority of the population of the United States will be benefited positively. There is no possible way to tell whether a unborn child will be the cause of happiness, Or be happy themselves, Before they are born; which means there is no way to say whether having an abortion will prevent any more suffering than continuing with the pregnancy and giving birth. There is studies to say that the mental health of those who undergo abortion can be negatively affected [2] but none say that those denied such procedure are any more negatively affected in the long run. If we abort an unborn child, We are essentially preventing any happiness caused by, Or felt by, That child in the future. 10. 57 - 18. 85% of all pregnancies result in abortion [5, 3], Which means that that"s more than six and a half hundred thousand lives lost every year. Americanadoption. Com [6] states that there are at least 200 people at any one time who are on the waiting list for adoption, This includes infertile woman, Homosexual couples, And those who are having trouble conceiving children. These parents have taken the time to carefully decide whether or not adoption would be the best option for them, And decided that it was. The happiness of these people would be benefited greatly with children. People who are considering abortion could, Instead, Offer their children for adoption. This would provide good to the adoptive parents, The adopted child [7, 8] (having loving parents), And the biological parents (knowing their child is with a loving set of carers. ) Studies also show that children who are adopted young have greater average academic standards, Which in the future will amount to an infinite more amount of good than a dead fetus [8]. Overall, There is no reason why abortion will bring a greater amount of happiness than adoption. In the cases of children who are diagnosed with disabilities (eg. Autism, Down Syndrome or other developmental or physical disability) many say that the mother should have the option of aborting their child, However this won"t create a greater world in the future, But rather a less prepared one. It is almost common knowledge that the population of children diagnosed with Down syndrome is decreasing, And this is because 62 - 90% of children its Down Syndrome are aborted [12]. The decrease of people with Down syndrome, And in turn the amount of families with children with Down syndrome, Is a decrease in the happiness given by those children to the world. Families that include children with Down syndrome are generally happy families [10, 11] and these children are a chance for us to learn about compassion. A population of people who know compassion is a population that is much more likely to thrive in the future, As compassion is a necessary quality in a striving human population because compassion is the secret to both health and happiness [13]. Also, With the decrease of people with Down syndrome and other disabilities (due to abortion), We as a population will become much less prepared for people like them, Since there will continue to be much less people with Down Syndrome and other disabilities with the legalisation of abortion in the population. I do consider a fetus as a person, As it has a unique and distinctive human DNA. The fact that it has no consciousness, Nor brain activity does no change the fact that it is a living human being. People who are in a comatose state rely on life support and have little brain activity, Yet are still considered valid human beings, So does someone who is brain-dead, Which is why they are commonly referred to as a "brain-dead person. " The fetus does rely on the support of the mother, In the same way a person in a comatose state relies on life support however it does not mean that the fetus is a part of the mother"s body. This is why, Through a utilitarianistic view, Abortion is immoral, Not why it should be illegal. I will try to address that in the next round. Sources [1] Iep. Utm. Edu. (2018). Utilitarianism, Act and Rule | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. [online] Available at: https://www. Iep. Utm. Edu/util-a-r/#H4 [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. [2] American Pregnancy Association. (2016). Emotional Side Effects After an Abortion. [online] Available at: http://americanpregnancy. Org/unplanned-pregnancy/abortion-emotional-effects/ [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. [3] Johnston, R. (2017). Percentage of pregnancies aborted in the United States--by states. [online] Johnstonsarchive. Net. Available at: http://www. Johnstonsarchive. Net/policy/abortion/statesabrate. Html [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. [4] Lawrence, B. , Finer, L. , Frohwirth, L. , Dauphinee, A. , Singh, S. And Moore, A. (2005). Reasons U. S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37(3), P. 112. [5] Facts, A. (2018). Topic: Abortion in the U. S. . [online] www. Statista. Com. Available at: https://www. Statista. Com/topics/3218/abortion-in-the-us/ [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. [6] Americanadoptions. Com. (2018). American Adoptions - How Many Couples Are Waiting to Adopt? . [online] Available at: https://www. Americanadoptions. Com/pregnant/waiting_adoptive_families [Accessed 1 Aug. 2018]. [7] FamilyEducation. (2018). How Happy Are Adopted Children? . [online] Available at: https://www. Familyeducation. Com/life/preparing-adoption/how-happy-are-adopted-children [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018]. [8] Americanadoptions. Com. (2018). American Adoptions - Being Adopted - A Look at the Happiness of Children Growing Up Adopted. [online] Available at: https://www. Americanadoptions. Com/pregnant/growing_up_adopted_study_highlights_health_happiness_of_adopted_children [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018]. [9] Phys. Org. (2018). 92 percent of families with adopted children are satisfied with their decision. [online] Available at: https://phys. Org/news/2012-02-percent-families-children-decision. Html [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018]. [10] Broek, A. (2014). How a child with special needs brings happiness to a parent's life - Chatelaine. [online] Chatelaine. Available at: https://www. Chatelaine. Com/health/how-a-child-with-special-needs-brings-happiness-to-a-parents-life/ [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018]. [11] Heasley, S. (2011). Down Syndrome Study Finds Families Are Happy - Disability Scoop. [online] Disability Scoop. Available at: https://www. Disabilityscoop. Com/2011/09/22/down-syndrome-families-happy/14087/ [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018]. [12] Natoli, J. , Ackerman, D. , McDermott, S. And Edwards, J. (2012). Prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome: a systematic review of termination rates (1995-2011). Prenatal Diagnosis, 32(2), Pp. 142-153. [13] Seppala, E. (2012). The Best Kept Secret to Happiness & Health: Compassion. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www. Psychologytoday. Com/au/blog/feeling-it/201211/the-best-kept-secret-happiness-health-compassion [Accessed 2 Aug. 2018].