Children of Choice: Freedom and the New Reproductive Technologies - Rilegato

Robertson, John A.

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0691033536 ISBN 13: 9780691033532

Casa editrice: Princeton Univ Pr, 1994

Riassunto

Cloning, genetic screening, embryo freezing, in vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, Norplant, RU486 - these are the technologies revolutionizing our reproductive landscape, enabling individuals to conceive or to avoid pregnancy and to plan the timing of their offspring, and even control their characteristics, in ways barely imaginable a generation ago. In this wide-ranging account of the reproductive technologies currently available, John Robertson goes to the heart of issues that confront increasing numbers of people - single individuals or couples, donors or surrogates, gays or heterosexuals - who seek to redefine family, parenthood, the experience of pregnancy, and life itself. Through the lens of procreative liberty, he analyzes the ethical, legal, and social controversies that surround each major technology, then determines to what extent individuals should be free to pursue the procedures available and whether government should be authorized to restrict them.
Reproductive freedom, Robertson maintains, has traditionally been a right taken for granted. Yet these new technologies, helpful as they may be to many people, carry a price - be it the financial, physical, or emotional strain that in vitro fertilization places on couples or the social danger posed by genetically shaping offspring characteristics. They also open up a multitude of fascinating legal questions: Do frozen embryos have the right to be born? Should parents select offspring traits? May a government make long-acting contraceptives compulsory for welfare recipients? Should a woman have the right to abort so she can provide fetal tissue to others, either altruistically or for financial gain? If one member of a lesbian couple has a child through artificial insemination, does the nonbiological parent have any rearing rights or duties in the event that the relationship ends?
Robertson examines the broad range of consequences of each reproductive technology and its possible ethical and legal implications. He establishes guidelines for its use by weighing the chance that the technology may enrich and give meaning to an individual's life, against the harm it may cause the larger community. Arguing for the primacy of reproductive freedom in most cases, Robertson offers a timely, multifaceted analysis of the competing interests at stake for patients, couples, doctors, policymakers, lawyers, and ethicists, and shows how they can best be reconciled.

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Recensione

"Robertson's ... confrontational style takes the reader to the limits of the possible and beyond, to the extraordinary repercussions of reproductive techniques. This clear and thought-provoking book ... provides rich legal and ethical insights that will challenge and shape one's personal beliefs and professional ethics."--Dilys M. Walker, M.D., The New England Journal of Medicine

"Robertson has laid out, comprehensively and intelligibly, the procreative possibilities open to us now and in the future."--Mary Warnock, New Scientist

"Robertson . . . argues that the principle of procreative liberty should be used to determine the ethics and legalities of the many controversial issues surrounding reproductive technology. . . . Robertson's position may not be universally accepted, but his works are regularly cited and his perspective is given significant coverage in many books on this topic."--Library Journal

"A searching exploration of the ever-expanding parameters of 'choice' written with Solomon-like sagacity."--Kirkus Reviews

"Robertson surveys the available reproductive techniques and options, from abortion and contraception to the various ways of reproducing and of screening for suitable characteristics. The individual and societal conflicts are presented for each option, with Robertson generally arguing in favor of freedom of choice. Should be of interest to students of society as well as the many prospective users of these technologies."--Booklist

"Even if one disagrees with the particular answers which John Robertson gives to the ethical questions raised by the new technology, his book is nonetheless to be welcomed."--Anthony Daniels, Sunday Telegraph

"Robertson is quite good at explaining in advance the order of his arguments; and he provides a comprehensive account of different available methods of contraception, of the various possible treatments either for the remedying of infertility or for allowing single men or women, whether infertile or not, to have children, as well as discussing genetic manipulation."--Mary Warnock, New Scientist

". . . appropriate for students of ethics or anyone else interested in the moral, legal and policy implications of the advances in reproductive technology. . . . Its value lies in its willingness to present all the arguments, leaving the reader to ponder the ethical dilemmas and perhaps come up with some solutions."--Washington Times

"Robertson charts an ethical and legal course through the questions and concern posed by the reproductive techniques that are now available. . . . [He] weaves his way through a tangle of fascinating and often disturbing issues. . . . Children of Choice is indispensable for anyone caring for women, couples, or families--anyone who reaches out for guidance in making reproductive choices. It would also be valuable to women or couples contemplating abortion or the use of infertility services. . . . Well referenced and annotated, this clear and thought-provoking book demands a careful reading. It provides rich legal and ethical insights that will challenge and shape one's personal beliefs and professional ethics."--Dilys M. Walker, New England Journal of Medicine

"Should parents have the right to 'control offspring quality' through genetic screening and manipulation? Should frozen embryos be legally protected? In what ways? How would the introduction of RU486, the 'abortion pill,' change abortion in America? Bioethicist John Robertson tackles these difficult questions and many more in Children of Choice, a comprehensive look at the issues surrounding reproduction in a technological age. . . . a flawlessly researched, thoughtful book."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

L'autore

John A. Robertson is the Thomas Watt Gregory Professor in the School of Law at the University of Texas at Austin.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Princeton Univ Pr
• Data di pubblicazione: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0691033536
• ISBN 13: 9780691033532
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 281