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The Risk of a Lifetime: How, When, and Why Procreation May Be Permissible

Online ISBN:
9780190243722
Print ISBN:
9780190243708
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Book

The Risk of a Lifetime: How, When, and Why Procreation May Be Permissible

Rivka Weinberg
Rivka Weinberg

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Associate Professor of Philosophy, Scripps College
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Published online:
17 December 2015
Published in print:
1 November 2015
Online ISBN:
9780190243722
Print ISBN:
9780190243708
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Abstract

This book is an argument for giving procreating moral consideration, and a theory of how, when, and why procreation may be permissible. It begins with an analysis of the kind of act procreativity is and an argument for why we might be justifiably motivated to engage in it. It then argues that because we own and control the hazardous material that is our gametes, we are responsible for the risks we take with them, that is, for the persons that develop when we engage in activity that allows our gametes to unite with others and develop into persons. The book further argues that when done respectfully, and when the child's chances of leading a life of human flourishing are high, procreation may be permissible. What constitutes respectful procreation and a high chance of leading a life of human flourishing is explicated. The book shows that the non-identity problem is a mistake that can be solved and/or avoided. Further, arguments against the permissibility of procreativity due to its imposition without consent or its badness for people are flawed. Yet procreation remains both a welfare and a moral risk nonetheless. Given our interest in procreating, the book proposes contractualist principles to fairly attend to the interests prospective parents have in procreating and the interests future people have in a life of human flourishing. The principle is assessed on its own merits and in comparison with rival principles. It is then applied to a wide variety of procreative cases.

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