Carter, J. A. and Gordon, E. C. (2013) Intelligence, wellbeing and procreative beneficence. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 30(2), pp. 122-135. (doi: 10.1111/japp.12011)
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Abstract
If Savulescu's (2001, 2009) controversial principle of Procreative Beneficence (PB) is correct, then an important implication is that couples should employ genetic tests for non-disease traits in selecting which child to bring into existence. Both defenders as well as some critics of this normative entailment of PB have typically accepted the comparatively less controversial claim about non-disease traits: that there are non-disease traits such that testing and selecting for them would in fact contribute to bringing about the child who is expected to have the best life. We challenge this less controversial claim, not by arguing deductively for its falsity, but by showing that Savulescu's central argument for this presumably less controversial claim fails. Savulescu offers intelligence as the paradigm example of a testable non-disease trait such that testing and selecting for it would increase the likelihood that the child selected would be the one who is expected to have the best life (or at least as good a life as the others). We provide a series of arguments aimed at demonstrating that Savulescu's argument from intelligence fails. If our arguments are successful, the upshot is not that PB is false, but more modestly, that the burden of proof remains squarely with Savulescu.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Gordon, Dr Emma and Carter, Professor J Adam |
| Authors: | Carter, J. A., and Gordon, E. C. |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) |
| College/School: | College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Philosophy |
| Journal Name: | Journal of Applied Philosophy |
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| ISSN: | 0264-3758 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1468-5930 |
| Published Online: | 11 March 2013 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2013 Society for Applied Philosophy |
| First Published: | First published in Journal of Applied Philosophy 30(2): 122-135 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy |
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