The Ethics of Reproductive Technology

by Alpern, Kenneth D.

• ISBN13: 9780195074352
• ISBN10: 0195074351
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1992-11-26
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This timely anthology helps students examine the normative and conceptual issues raised by recent innovations in human reproduction, including in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer, and surrogate motherhood. Broad-based and interdisciplinary, it gathers together essays of remarkable depth and philosophical sophistication by legal scholars, health care professionals, scientists, and theologians as well as philosophers, paying particular attention to women's perspectives and to issues that concern women. Organized around issues rather than techniques and featuring unusually clear introductions to current ethical and legal debates, the text sets the conceptual framework for addressing issues of prudence, morality, and public policy while providing the broadest possible context for the readings and teasing out the connections among them. Designed for a wide range of courses and for students at many levels, the anthology provides both a firm grounding in the basics--the biology of human reproduction, the specific procedures involved in various reproductive techniques, and the psychology of infertility--and a broad range of readings that provide the depth for more advanced thinking. Other unique features are a section on professional responsibilities that will appeal to more scientifically oriented students, a detailed study of the Baby M case that raises profound questions about the legal treatment of reproduction, and an annotated reading list that guides students past today's welter of popular ephemera to many important but lesser-known sources.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Biological, Technological, and Psychological Background

Reproduction and Reproduction-Aiding Technologies

Emotional Reactions to Infertility

Conflicting Perspectives: Issues, Positions, and Arguments

Surrogate Motherhood: Not So Novel after All

Surrogate Motherhood Arrangements from the Perspective of the Child

Fertilization of Human Eggs In Vitro: A Defense

Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and the Dignity of Procreation, Vatican, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

The Meaning of Life--In the Laboratory

Progeny, Progress, and Primrose Paths

Why Have Children?: Meaning and Significance

On the Relationship of Parents and Children

The Mother, Simone de Beauvoir

Genetic Puzzles and Stork Stories: On the Meaning and Significance of Having Children

Making and Selling People: Production and Commerce

Market-Inalienability

Begotten or Made?

Reproductive Technology and Women: Opportunity or Oppression?

Surrogate Motherhood, The Challenge for Feminists

The Mother Machine

The Ethics of Sex Preselection

Constitutional Rights, Law, and Public Policy

Non-Coital Reproduction and Procreative Liberty

Equal Protection for Whom?

Legal Problems of Surrogate Motherhood

The Overdue Death of a Feminist Chameleon: Taking a Stand on Surrogacy Arrangements

Professional Responsibilities

Ethical Considerations on In Vitro Fertilization, Ethics Committee of the American Fertility Society

Social Responsibility Demands Treating All Patients in Need

Responsible Stewardship Requires Not Cooperating with Surrogacy

Case Studies

The Case of Baby M: Parenting through Contract When Everyone Wants the Child

Parenting through Contract When No One Wants the Child

Property or Persons? The Status of Embryos in In Vitro Fertilization

Glossary

Suggestions for Further Reading

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