Assignment task:
Post 1 reply of 450-600 words Discussion post below. Be sure to speak directly to the classmate using "You said..." rather than "Logan said...." Also make sure to use correct Turabian footnote form. The name should be First Name Last Name, and I should see the exact page of the quote, rather than the spread of pages the journal article takes up in the journal.
A brief paragraph of your chosen ethical system.
Ethics are a set of principles that guide a person with making decisions based on whether they are morally right or wrong. It can also affect the way people make decisions while living their lives. Utilitarianism is a non-Christian ethical system that focuses on the greatest amount of benefit that can be obtained. Utilitarianism encourages individuals to consider the impact of their choices on the broader community, promoting actions that maximize positive outcomes while minimizing harm. While it promotes efficiency and practicality in decision-making, utilitarianism can sometimes overlook the rights and dignity of individuals, as it may justify sacrificing one for the benefit of many. Utilitarianism is also compared to the term consequentialism, which is a theory that judges actions as being morally right or wrong (1). (126-word count)
A brief paragraph explaining the chosen topic and why it's controversial.
The topic I chose was abortion. Abortion is a very controversial topic that we constantly hear about today, and especially with the upcoming elections. The question of whether terminating a pregnancy at any stage is inhumane, or whether it is acceptable due to the situation. The controversy largely stems from differing beliefs about when life begins, women's rights over their bodies, and the societal implications of abortion. There are so many questions and different situations that make abortion a topic of an uncertain set of rules. Also, another reason this topic of abortion becomes controversial is because religion gets involved. One who usually has a religious background based on Christianity tends to be against abortion, but some tend to be for abortions depending on the different circumstances, which causes moral conflicts based on their religion. This multifaceted nature of abortion makes it a deeply personal issue, often tied to individual experiences, beliefs, and values, which further fuels passionate discussions and divides communities. (162-word count)
A thorough paragraph explaining how your ethical system would discern the right decision/action pertaining to the issue.
The Utilitarian approach towards abortion would be based on the individual case. The individual would decide whether an abortion would be morally right when comparing it to the resulting outcome. When a woman seeks an abortion due to health risks, for example, an abortion would be considered the right thing to do if the mother's life was in danger. The mother of an already established family would choose to have an abortion simply because if she continues with the pregnancy there is a high chance both her and her unborn child could possibly not survive the birth of the child. As this result, that would leave her other living children without a mother. Having an abortion would be the greatest benefit obtained in this situation based on the utilitarian ethic approach. (131-word count)
A thorough paragraph relaying how a competing ethical system (If you hold to a Christian ethical system, then this would be a non-Christian ethical system, and vice versa) would attempt to answer the ethical dilemma, but that ends with an explanation of why it is an inadequate/wrong approach compared to your chosen system's approach.
In exploring a non-Christian ethical system, such as relativism, we see an approach that asserts that moral truths are not absolute but rather shaped by cultural, social, or personal contexts. Cultural relativism is based on the observation that different cultures seem to have different values (2). When faced with an ethical dilemma, a relativist would evaluate the situation based on the beliefs and values of the individuals involved, arguing that what is "right" can vary widely depending on one's background or perspective. For instance, in a situation where one must decide whether to betray a friend for personal gain, a relativist might argue that if the betrayal aligns with one's cultural norms or individual goals, it can be justified. In contrast to a Christian ethical system, which emphasizes love, compassion, and the inherent dignity of every individual as rooted in divine creation. (142-word count)
References
Mandal J, Ponnambath DK, Parija SC. Utilitarian and deontological ethics in medicine. Trop Parasitol. 2016 Jan-Jun;6(1):5-7. doi: 10.4103/2229-5070.175024. PMID: 26998430; PMCID: PMC4778182.
Doug Powell, Holman QuickSource Guide to Christian ApologeticsLinks to an external site. (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2006), 73.