Presentation: David
1. How do global and local inequalities relate to reproductive tourism?
2. What intentional act contributes to making surrogacy especially controversial?
3. Name an equality concern arising from reproductive tourism.
4. What's problematic about the goal of racial family matching "in a commercial context"?
5. Oprah portrayed surrogacy as what?
6. What was PlanetHospital's rationale for only accepting surrogates who already have children of their own?
7. An Indian makes how many multiples of her annual salary by being a surrogate?
8. Why does PH say all surrogate births must be by cesarean delivery?
9. Why didn't most donor-conceived children ever ask questions?
10. Parents who disclosed their children's donor status regarded what as essential to the child-parent relationship?
Future
- Who are some classical and Enlightenment philosophers who accepted slavery? What 18th century activist does MacAskill credit with challenging it most effectively? What else did he oppose? 49-50
- What is the dead-hand problem? What's an example? 54
- What evolutionary biologist famously denied the likelihood that a re-wound "tape of life" would support the emergence of human-level intelligence? What is the current consensus among biologists concerning evolutionary contingency? What principles govern cultural evolution? What happens to cultures that don't entrench themselves? 55-60
- What does 20th century history show about moral progress? 65 What do we need, to drive it forward? 72
- Who were the Mohists? What did they have in common with the British utilitarians? 76 What did the rise and millennial lock-in of Confucianism illustrate? 78
- What technology of our time is key to the prospects of future lock-in? 79 What will we have created, if research in this area proceeds to its ultimate achievement? 80
- What have tech moguls like Bezos, Thiel, and Altman invested in and/or patronized? 85
- What is the alignment problem? It it's solved, what might continue for billions of years to come? 87
- What countries does MacAskill expect to grow in power in the future? 93 What kind of world does he say we should want to build? 99-101
DQ
- Is there an analogy, in terms of ethical involvement, between reproductive tourism and prostitution? (That is, are the patrons and solicitors in each instance equally culpable? Are suppliers and demanders equally involved?)
- Is the separation of biological and social maternity inherently problematic? Is there any parallel to the separation of mothers from their children for geopolitical reasons (as in the recent border-crossing detentions at the U.S./Mexico border)?
- What, if any, ethically-relevant similarities are there between medical and reproductive tourism?
- Is the threat and reality of exploitation in reproductive tourism grounds for regulation?
- Is it misleading to say that women who provide eggs and bear children for others are "free agents" in the marketplace? 345
- What in general is ethically problematic about the goal of racial family matching?
- What's "uncomfortable" about the idea of women's bodies becoming "part of a formal economy"?
- Is the PlanetHospital model of accelerated results ethically problematic?
- COMMENT on the policy of cesarean delivery for all surrogates.
- When would you reveal your child's status as donor-conceived to him/her?
Is the separation of biological and social maternity inherently problematic? Is there any parallel to the separation of mothers from their children for geopolitical reasons (as in the recent border-crossing detentions at the U.S./Mexico border)?
ReplyDeleteYes. I would say so. Unless the parent is causing genuine harm to their child they should not be split up, and that harm needs to be verified to make sure the child nor parent is lying.
ReplyDeleteIs there an analogy, in terms of ethical involvement, between reproductive tourism and prostitution? (That is, are the patrons and solicitors in each instance equally culpable? Are suppliers and demanders equally involved?)
Yes there is, assuming all parties made the choice freely. The only instance where they would not be culpable is forces scenarios, like human trafficking.
Is it misleading to say that women who provide eggs and bear children for others are "free agents" in the marketplace?
ReplyDeleteNo, I'd say that is pretty apt. It is not all that much different from sperm donations, and I don't know of any professional sperm donors.
5. Oprah portrayed surrogacy as what?
ReplyDeleteOprah portrayed surrogacy as a compassionate and empowering option for those unable to conceive or carry a child.
9. Why didn't most donor-conceived children ever ask questions?
ReplyDeleteMost donor-conceived children don't ask questions because they often don't know they were donor-conceived or were discouraged by family dynamics surrounding the topic.
4. What's problematic about the goal of racial family matching "in a commercial context"?
ReplyDeleteIn a commercial context, the goal of racial family matching is problematic because it can commodify children based on race, reinforcing racial preferences and inequalities, and treating race as a product feature rather than respecting human dignity.
1. How do global and local inequalities relate to reproductive tourism?
ReplyDeleteReproductive tourism reflects global and local inequalities, as wealthy individuals seek services in poorer countries where disadvantaged women provide them out of economic need.
The book makes it so clear that the disparities between the countries creates a very exploitative business model.
DeleteI think revealing that a child is donor-conceived could be something to tell them since birth, as I feel something like that would be more impactful the later on you tell them.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who used a surrogate that I was talking about this situation with, she said she feels like the best thing is that the child never remember a time when they didn't know the truth. - David
Delete