Utilitarianism as a moral philosophy does exhibits several forms which are basically variations on Mill's modification of the doctrine produced by Bentham. Morality is viewed as the abeyance of particular rules relating to society, and reasons for doing this. Utilitarianism promotes the concept of the only motive for moral action, that being obeying the rules that are necessary for social life, and the pleasure which can be found in the compliance or the pain which results from disobeying them. The ˜standard' form of the theory is can actually be expressed as two principles which are combined. The first is the consequentialist principle, that an action can be determined right or wrong depending upon the goodness or badness that results from it. The second half is found in the hedonist principle that pleasure is the only thing that is inherently good, and that the only completely bad thing is pain.
Abortion is the most controversial issue, having no grounds of agreement among two polar aspects. The argument is life and death though the uncertainty of complication makes it difficult. The Constitution permits abortion legalization. The Supreme Court in 1973, Roe vs. Wade, legalized abortion in the first trimester. Since then, over 50 million women have had legal abortions. Twenty-four percent of pregnancies are aborted and forty-one percent of the abortions are teenagers in America. Just because abortion is legal doesn't mean it is okay.
John Stewart Mill is known for his work with happiness and his frequent work with Utilitarianism. He explains how Utilitarianism is the objective moral truth and your intuitions towards that truth. There is a moral standard in our lives, and that is the Greatest Happiness Principle. This theory implements the greatest amount of pleasure or happiness with the greatest quality for the greatest number of people. The Greatest Happiness Principle is an aspect of Utilitarianism, but Utilitarianism is a sub category of Consequentialism.