Reproductive ethics concerns the ways in which human beings can, or should reproduce. It encompasses questions such as whether genetic engineering is permissible, whether abortion can be justified, the moral status of contraception, the role of reproduction in relation to gender roles, the duties of third parties (doctors, public health agencies, governments, society in general) with regard to reproduction. The course will also address environmental and population aspects of reproductive ethics, as well as the anti-natalist literature and alternative modes of human reproduction.
Core texts:
- Life before birth - Bonnie Steinbock, Second Edition. Oxford University Press. 2011
- Bioethics - an anthology, Helga Kuhse, Udo Schuklenk, eds Wiley. Blackwell. 2016
- The Future of Human Reproduction: Ethics, Choice, and Regulation (Issues in Biomedical Ethics). John Harris, ed. Oxford University Press. 2003.
Where readings are drawn from core text, author/editor and chapter number only are given. Where readings are sourced from elsewhere, full citations are given. Anyone who has trouble accessing the readings should contact Anna Smajdor anna.smajdor@ifikk.uio.no