Reproducing Persons: Issues in Feminist BioethicsControversies about abortion and women's reproductive technologies often seem to reflect personal experience, religious commitment, or emotional response. Laura M. Purdy believes, however, that coherent ethical principles are implicit in these controversies and that feminist bioethics can help clarify the conflicts of interest which often figure in human reproduction. As she defines the underlying issues, Purdy emphasizes the importance of taking women's interests fully into account. Reproducing Persons first explores the rights and duties connected with conception and pregnancy. Purdy asks whether conceiving a child or taking a pregnancy to term can ever be morally wrong. She challenges the thinking of those who feel the prospect of disability or serious genetic disease should not constrain conception or justify abortion. The essays next look at abortion from a variety of angles. One contends that killing fetuses is not murder; others emphasize the moral importance of access to abortion. Purdy considers the conflicting interests of women and men regarding abortion, and argues against requiring a husband's consent. The book concludes with a consideration of new reproductive technologies and arrangements, including the controversial issue of surrogacy, or contract pregnancy. Throughout, Purdy combines traditional utilitarianism with some of the most powerful insights of contemporary feminist ethics. Her provocative essays create guidelines for approaching new topics and inspire fresh thinking about old ones. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
LIMITS AND CAVEATS | 35 |
What Can Progress in Reproductive Technology | 75 |
Are Pregnant Women Fetal Containers? | 101 |
ABORTION AND THE RIGHT NOT TO REPRODUCE | 107 |
Abortion and the Argument from Convenience | 132 |
Abortion Forced Labor and War | 146 |
A Reply to Teo | 161 |
NEW WORLDS COLLABORATIVE REPRODUCTION | 169 |
Exploitation or Empowerment? | 182 |
Another Look at Contract Pregnancy | 198 |
Whose Children? At What Cost? | 216 |
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Common terms and phrases
abortion abortion debate anti-abortionists approach argue argument Asch assumptions babies believe benefit bioethics biological birth burden caesareans Chapter child childbearing Children Be Immoral claim conception consequentialist consider context contraception contract pregnancy core feminism deaths decisions Derek Parfit desire disability disease equal example existence exploitation fact feminist ethics Feminist Perspectives fetal fetus fetuses gender genetic harm Holmes human Huntington's Huntington's disease Ibid individuals infertile issues justify kind labor less lives Longer Patient Medical Ethics Michael Tooley morally relevant motherhood Norplant parents persons Perspectives in Medical philosophy political position possible potential practice pregnant women prenatal prevent principle problems procreation procreative liberty Purdy question reason reject relationships reproductive technologies require responsibility right to reproduce risk Robertson seems serious sexism Sherwin social society suggest surrogacy Surrogate Mothering tion University Press utilitarianism vitro fertilization welfare woman women's interests wrong York