Lawlor, R (2015) Questioning the significance of the non-identity problem in applied ethics. Journal of Medical Ethics, 41 (11). pp. 893-896. ISSN 0306-6800
Abstract
Authors such as Tony Hope and Julian Savulescu appeal to Derek Parfit's non-identity problem in relation to particular questions in applied ethics, and particularly in reproductive ethics. They argue that the non-identity problem shows that an individual cannot be harmed by being brought into existence, and therefore we cannot say that the individual is harmed if, for example, we select an embryo in order to have a deaf child. Thus, they argue that an appeal to the non-identity problem blocks (or significantly reduces the force of) objections in a number of cases. I argue that these discussions often give the impression that this is a clear conclusion, shared by most philosophers, and largely beyond dispute. This is particularly significant because these discussions are often in journals or books with an interdisciplinary readership. My concern is that they give the impression of stating: “philosophers have studied this issue, and this is the conclusion they have reached. Now I will emphasise the implications for medical ethics.” I argue that, far from being the consensus view, the view presented by Hope and Savulescu is rejected by many, including Parfit himself.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015 Lawlor, R. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Journal of Medical Ethics. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Disability; Reproductive Medicine; Future child disability; Genetic Selection; Philosophical Ethics |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 05 May 2016 12:52 |
Last Modified: | 15 Jan 2018 18:53 |
Published Version: | https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2014-102391 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | BMJ Publishing Group |
Identification Number: | 10.1136/medethics-2014-102391 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:96509 |