Children on Demand: The Ethics of Defying Nature

Description

Children on Demand examines the ethics of various forms of alternative parenthood, focusing specifically on adoption and assisted reproductive technologies, and the moral dilemmas they create for both individuals and the state. Tom Frame discusses the ethical challenges that arise when scientific possibilities get ahead of community consensus. The central question of this comprehensive, careful and challenging book is what is best for the child? Contents......Page 5 Introduction......Page 7 Dealing with infertility......Page 18 Personal, philosophical and political contexts......Page 29 Children and parents......Page 30 Nature and nurture:does biology affect identity?......Page 50 Reproduction and the state: protection, paternalism and prudence......Page 70 Nontechnological responses to childlessness......Page 91 Adoption: ancient and modern......Page 92 Can adoption be rehabilitated?......Page 111 Technological responses to childlessness......Page 129 The ‘art’ of artificial conception......Page 130 The perils of surrogacy: compassion and commercialism......Page 155 Making parents of the dead:is it such a bad idea?......Page 174 Caring for children or just defying nature?......Page 189 Notes......Page 208 Index......Page 219