Search results

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction -- PART I. THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE: LIMITS AND CAVEATS -- 1. Genetics and Reproductive Risk: Can Having Children Be Immoral? -- 2. Loving Future People -- 3. What Can Progress in Reproductive Technology Mean for Women? -- 4. Are Pregnant Women Fetal Containers? -- PART II: ABORTION AND THE RIGHT NOT TO REPRODUCE -- 5. Is Abortion Murder? (with Michael Tooley) -- 6. Abortion, Potentiality, and Conferred Claims: A Response to Langerak -- 7. Abortion and the Argument from Convenience -- 8. Abortion, Forced Labor, and War -- 9. Abortion and the Husband's Rights: A Reply to Teo -- PART III: NEW WORLDS: COLLABORATIVE REPRODUCTION -- 10. The Morality of New Reproductive Technologies -- 11. Surrogate Mothering: Exploitation or Empowerment? -- 12. Another Look at Contract Pregnancy -- 13. Children of Choice: Whose Children? At What Cost? -- Selected Bibliography -- Index

The field of ethics is enjoying a much-needed renaissance. Traditional theories and approaches are appropriately coming under fire, although not every new idea will stand time's test. Feminist thinking suggests that we at least emphasize the importance of women and their interests, focus on issues specially affecting women, rethink fundamental assumptions, incorporate feminist insights and conclusions from other areas, and be consistent with respect to our concerns about equality by paying attention to race and class.

Shulamith Firestone argues that for women to embrace equal rights without recognizing them for children is unjust. Protection of children is merely repressive control: they are infantilized by our treatment of them. I maintain that many children no longer get much protection, but neither are they being provided with an environment conducive to learning prudence or morality. Recognizing equal rights for children is likely to worsen this situation, not make it better.

Science is revolutionizing human reproduction. New techniques are already with us, such as artificial insemination, the freezing of sperm, in vitro fertilization and the use of surrogate mothers. Artificial wombs are clearly on the horizon.