Utilitarianism and Abortion - Essay Example

Utilitarianism implies that any actions should be based on strict practicality and usefulness, which is particularly seen in obtaining wealth. Thus, utilitarianism argues the relativity of morality, since, depending on its impact the act can be evaluated either positively or negatively.

This statement can be analyzed in the example of abortion. In general, abortion is considered to be an immoral act that involves the murder of an unborn child. However, in those situations where the preservation of the child could cause serious harm to the health of pregnant women including threats to her life utilitarianism is willing to consider abortion as the most appropriate option for a given situation. In this case, utilitarianism takes into account the fact that the benefits of abortion are much greater than the harm from it. Thus, the relativity of the morality of utilitarianism allows one to accept abortion in exceptional cases when for example, there is an urgent need to save the life of the pregnant woman.