The Risk of a Lifetime (el. knyga) (skaityta knyga) | knygos.lt

Aprašymas

Despite its history and the debates that surround procreative ethics, procreation itself is often done thoughtlessly. This book is an argument for giving procreating some serious thought, and a theory of how, when, and why procreation may be permissible. Rivka Weinberg begins with an analysis of the kind of act procreativity is and why we might be justifiably motivated to engage in it. She then proceeds to argue that, by virtue of our ownership and control of the hazardous material that is our gametes, we are parentally responsible for the risks we take with our gametes and for the persons that develop when we engage in activity that allows our gametes to unite with others and develop into persons. Further argument establishes that when done respectfully, and in cases where the child's chances of leading a life of human flourishing are high, procreation may be permissible. Along the way, Weinberg argues that the non-identity problem is a curiously common mistake by demonstrating the serious flaws in arguments for the impressibility of procreation centered on the claim that life is bad for people and imposed on them without their consent. Weinberg further asserts that although procreation is permissible under certain conditions, it is both a welfare and moral risk. In order to ascertain when such procreative risk is permissible to impose, Weinberg proposes contractualist principles to fairly attend to the high level of legitimate interests prospective parents have in procreating and the interests future people have in a life of human flourishing. The principles are assessed on their own merits and in comparison with rival principles. The book concludes with the application of the principles to a wide variety of real life procreative cases, including controversial cases such as surrogacy, savior siblings, prenatal genetic diagnosis and selective implantation, and genetic enhancement.