Savulescu:
"Procreative Beneficence: Why We Should Select the Best Children"
I. Savulescu defends a Principle of
Procreative Beneficence (PPB)
PPB: "[C]ouples (or single reproducers) should select the child, of the
possible children they could have, who is expected to have the best life, or
at least as good a life as the others, based on the relevant, available
information" (415).
According to Savulescu, PPB implies that "couples should employ genetic tests
for non-disease traits in selecting which child to bring into existence"
(415).
Clarifications:
In what circumstances is the "selection" mentioned in PPB possible?
What does "should" mean in PPB?
Does
Savulescu imply that parents ought to produce children through PGD,
even if they could do so without technological intervention?
II. PPB and Disease Genes
PPB seems plausible:
Case in which genetic tests performed reveal only one salient difference
between embryo A and embryo B, namely that B but not A has a predisposition
to developing asthma (416).
Parfit's Rubella case (417).
Harm to Child Objection and Savulescu's Reply (422)
III. PPB and Non-Disease Genes
In order to determine which non-disease genes we are morally required to
select according to PPB, we need to think about what "the best life" is.
Savulescu says that it's the one with the most well-being.
Theories of well-being: hedonistic, desire-fulfillment, objective
list (419-420).
"On any of these theories, some non-disease genes will affect the
likelihood that we will lead the best life" (420).
Examples: Memory, Intelligence
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