PHLB09H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Julian Savulescu, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Reproductive Technology
Document Summary
Principle of beneficence: states that we have a duty to promote good states of affairs: healthy pregnancy, parent competently. What kind of children should we create: reproductive technology changes what we can do. Ivf (in vitro fertilization): combine sperm and egg outside the body to create embryos. Pgd (pre-implantation genetic diagnosis: avoid genetic diseases, select for positive traits. Thesis: prospective parents have a duty to use pgd to select for positive qualities in their future offspring. Principle of beneficence: we have a duty to bring about good" states of affairs in the world (make the world a happy place) Procreative beneficence: parents should select the child, of the possible children they could have, who is expected to have the best life . Suppose parents have undergone ivf: embryo a has a disposition to have asthma, embryo b has no genetic abnormalities. Pb seems to explain why parents should choose b. Objection: embryo a could have been mozart!
