Abstract
Chapter 1 Introduction
3.3: Utilitarianism and the Problem of Abortion:\
3.3.1: Factors of Abortion and the Role of Utilitarianism
Let us trace some of the conditions which do lead to abortion and how utilitarianism would deal with these conditions.
3.3.1.1: Abortion and Rape:
If the woman is a rape victim, then it is very natural that that pregnancy is unwanted. In this case, it is natural that the woman does not want to carry the foetus to the term. If the baby be allowed to be born, in this kind of cases, it might so happen that the both mother and her family will face much suffering and problem in major forms. So far as the child is considered, that child would not get a very good social status. The family or the society would react negatively to the fact that the child had the gene of a rapist, a criminal. So in this
case child born would carry the bad legacy of the criminal father and the people’s attitude toward him would respond that way as if he too would turn out to be another rapist or criminal of some sort. Utilitarianism has always regarded the principle of “greatest happiness of the greatest number” to be the ultimate one. So in this case of abortion of the foetus the morality of the act depends on how far it would lead to the greatest happiness of the greatest number of the society. That is why it can be said that according to utilitarianism abortion is permissible if it satisfies the greatest happiness principle.
3.3.1.2: Abortion due Unhealthy Foetus:
We can take another instance here. If the foetus is suffering from an incurable disease, then in this circumstance most of the parents would want to abort the foetus. If the child is allowed to be born, he/she will have to suffer from that incurable disease for the whole lifetime Understanding this many parents take the help of abortion in order to end pain for the rest of his/her life. The family members of the child would suffer too and there will be no end to this ordeal as there will be no remedy for their suffering. On the contrary, the child will need treatment for the whole life, which becomes a burden for the family. On top of it the guarantee of a positive result is not in store for them. Because of it, it may so happen that the whole might have suffered from a very heavy financial crisis. Under this situation it will be wise to abort the foetus. So it is seen that in this case also, the abortion of the foetus will bring the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Therefore, abortion is a possible choice for a utilitarian.
3.3.1.3: Abortion and the Poor Family Condition:
Another condition plays an important role so far as the issue of abortion is concerned. If a family has already many children and that family is not financially so sound to have another child, under that condition also the pregnant woman can think about the abortion. Because of the poor financial condition of the family, it would not be possible to provide a good and healthy environment and good education to the child. So ultimately that child will be deprived of a secured future. So the consequences of this act are more pain and less pleasure or happiness. That is why here in this case also it can be said that abortion is permissible from the point of view of utilitarianism.
3.3.1.4: Abortion and the Contemporary Woman:
Another condition favouring abortion is the mother’s career in case she is a contemporary woman, who is in a profession, including strenuous jobs in a corporate sector. For such mothers who have to cope with a hectic work that it is become very difficult to give time to child. Situation is worst if both the parents are equally busy and that this is one reason when parents opt for abortion. If the happiness of the mother is now concerned, then from the utilitarian point of view also the decision of abortion is right. But here generally the greatest happiness of the maximum people is also taken into consideration. Sometimes it so happens that though the mother does not want the child, but other members of the family want. In such conditions whose ‘will’ get more preference is a significant question.
3.3.1.5: Sex-selective Abortion:
Another important form of abortion, specifically in the context of Indian, China and some other culture specific zones is the sex-selective abortion. Because of many socio-cultural and religious reasons it is found that sex-selective abortion is practiced. Although not in the entire continent, in some states of India, it is seen that the boy child is given preference in comparison to the girl child. The main reason behind sex-selective abortion is dowry, a large sum of money that is to be paid to the groom’s family for the girl’s side for the grace he or his family has shown by marries the girl, especially when the girl is from a poor background.
In many parts of the country during the wedding time a girl is to take a good amount of dowry with her. So wedding of the daughter has become a big problem for the family of the girl, especially for a poor family. A section of the desperate parents want to take the help of abortion, when they discovered that the foetus is a female. In this kind of cases, gives consent to the abortion because they know that, if the girl child would have been born, she would have to suffer from family violence and negligence from the family. She would not have proper education, like her male siblings of the family. Even after her marriage, she would have to suffer from many tortures from their in-laws. Again if a woman is able to become a mother of a male child, her status of the society increases. Because of this patriarchal set up of the society, even the pregnant woman many times wants to do sex-selective abortion. In this condition also, from utilitarian view point, abortion is permitted, as it results the happiness of all the family members, sometimes even the happiness of the pregnant woman too.
Are sex-selective abortions wrong? In India's male-dominated society, especially in the northwest, this logic is one reason parents abort an estimated half-million female foetuses each year. The practice, called female feticide, has been responsible for at least 10 million female abortions since 1985, according to a controversial study published in January in the Lancet, the British medical journal. In Canada, some hospitals refuse to tell prospective parents the sex of their foetus when discovered in a second-trimester ultrasound, because the members of many immigrant groups will selectively abort girls. Apparently, such sex- selective abortions are common enough that the birth demographics in some areas are clearly skewed. Many feminist scholars observe that the problem with sex-selective abortions is not the abortion per se, but rather with the deep sexism of cultures that don't value girls and women.