The Ethics of Human Reproduction and the Family

Overview & Synopsis

This open access book explores the interplay between individual and collective procreative interests against the background of cutting-edge developments in reproductive science. Reproductive technologies have made possible a range of novel practices that challenge some of our most fundamental assumptions about parenthood and the family. Gametes have been collected from dying or deceased individuals to enable their spouses or parents to create children. Children have undergone invasive fertility preservation interventions at their parents’ request. Mothers have donated their wombs to their daughters. Meanwhile, new scientific discoveries in epigenetics and microbiomics are reshaping our understanding of biological connections. The Ethics of Human Reproduction and the Family brings together philosophers and social scientists to examine these challenges. Contributors explore, among others, the ethics of posthumous reproduction, uterus transplantation, intrafamilial adoption, conflicts between women’s interests and state policies, and the implications of postgenomic science for genetic and social kinship. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation .