Pinkesh Patel: Abortion and Ethics

Polish woman fights abortion case A Polish woman who was refused an abortion despite warnings that having a baby could make her blind is taking her case to Europe's human rights court. (7th Feb 2006,BBC) Law of Abortion in poland : Before 1993: Abortion was legal From 1993: Abortion made illegal From 2006: Resurgent law Interesting Figures: During 1980: abortions around 1lackh In1993: Abortions around 777 Utilitarianism: Aim of Utilitarianism: to produce the greatest good for the greatest number. Cost benefit analysis: weigh up the costs of doing something and asses the resulting benefits. J. Bentham: Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pleasure and pain. John Stuart Mill: pleasures of the mind are higher than those of the body. Deontological ethics:

Europe's human rights court has influenced laws in many nations

One of Kant's three significant formulations of the categorical imperative is:

Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end. Difficult to decide

Conclusion: The Tysiac case was seen as significant because she requested an abortion on recognised medical grounds and was still denied because, according to the court, the medical profession in Poland is wary of granting or performing abortions even where they are legal. Utilitarian view: for self defence, there should be an abortion hence she should be win the case. Deontological view: Difficult to decide because killing foetus is killing person and Doctor doesnt perform his duty.