Abortion is wrong, according to utilitarian logic

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Some people say that abortion should be legal because pregnancy is a risky condition, especially with risks of sudden death and such, and so it ought to be the woman’s choice as to whether she should be in that condition.

Utilitarian logic would disagree with that reasoning.

The number of maternal deaths worldwide in 2008 was less than 400,000, while the number of abortions in the USA alone for that year was over 825,000. If abortion were outlawed, the number of infant deaths would be reduced significantly (allowing for some of the newly-reprieved to die in utero), while the number of maternal deaths in the USA (a very small fraction of the previously-mentioned 400,000) would admittedly rise by another small percentage.

Nevertheless, this still provides greater benefit to a greater number of babies than the number of women who die.

**please note that I am not a utilitarian, I’m just giving this scenario to see if it works out.
 
Spirithound said:
Some people say that abortion should be legal because pregnancy is a risky condition, especially with risks of sudden death and such, and so it ought to be the woman’s choice as to whether she should be in that condition.

Utilitarian logic would disagree with that reasoning.

The number of maternal deaths worldwide in 2008 was less than 400,000, while the number of abortions in the USA alone for that year was over 825,000. If abortion were outlawed, the number of infant deaths would be reduced significantly (allowing for some of the newly-reprieved to die in utero), while the number of maternal deaths in the USA (a very small fraction of the previously-mentioned 400,000) would admittedly rise by another small percentage.

Nevertheless, this still provides greater benefit to a greater number of babies than the number of women who die.

**please note that I am not a utilitarian, I’m just giving this scenario to see if it works out.
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This works out great except your assuming “keeping people alive” is what is most useful. Your assuming “life” is what is most useful. The global warming fanatics in reality want people to die if they are fully embracing utilitarianism. There are just too many CO2 breathing people out there and in their mind what is most useful for the everyone as a whole would be a much smaller population as soon as possible.
 
Nate13 said:
This works out great except your assuming “keeping people alive” is what is most useful. Your assuming “life” is what is most useful. The global warming fanatics in reality want people to die if they are fully embracing utilitarianism. There are just too many CO2 breathing people out there and in their mind what is most useful for the everyone as a whole would be a much smaller population as soon as possible.
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I am not aware of any CO2 breathing people…😉
 
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