Child versus Childmaker: Future Persons and Present Duties in Ethics and the Law (Studies in Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy) [Paperback]

Melinda A. Roberts (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0847689018 | ISBN-13: 978-0847689019 | Publication Date: July 30, 1998

Child Versus Childmaker investigates a 'person-affecting' approach to ethical choice. A form of consequentialism, this approach is intended to capture the idea that agents ought both do the most good that they can and respect each person as distinct from each other. Focusing on cases in which a conflict of interest arises between 'childmakers'_parents, infertility specialists, embryologists, and others engaged in the task of bringing new people into existence_and the children they aim to create, the author considers what we today owe those who will come into existence tomorrow. Topics addressed include: what the person-affecting intuition is and how it differs from other forms of consequentialism; the consistency of the person-affecting intuition; the non-identity problem; wrongful life; and human cloning and other new reproductive technologies. This book is intended for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students in philosophy, law and economics and for anyone interested in bioethics, population policy, normative theory, children's rights, constitutional privacy, or family law.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a fun book to read; sometimes maddening, sometimes puzzling, but fun. The comparing of cases, the application of principles, and the attention Roberts gives to some of the details hold one's attention. (Ethics )

Roberts' commitment to a complete explanation of assorted moral arguments makes for thoughtful and complex reading. This book engages those who are searching for an in-depth approach to issues regarding the responsibilities of parents and the rights of children in the face of advancing reproductive technology. (The George Washington Law Review )

About the Author

Melinda A. Roberts has doctorates in both law and philosophy and is associate professor of philosophy at the College of New Jersey. She is the author of several articles on ethics and the law.

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (July 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847689018
• ISBN-13: 978-0847689019
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,795,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insightful Look at Person-Affecting Consequentialism, May 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Child versus Childmaker: Future Persons and Present Duties in Ethics and the Law (Studies in Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy) (Paperback)

Author addresses issues of creating future people and conduct toward future people within a perspective sympathetic to the utilitarian foundations of current social policy theory. Presents an alternative to the total utility view that genuinely takes into account individual well-being, by incorporating the "person-affecting" insight. Read this book if you are interested in normative ethical theory and/or issues surrounding new reproductive technologies.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone working in population ethics needs to read this., April 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Child versus Childmaker: Future Persons and Present Duties in Ethics and the Law (Studies in Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy) (Paperback)

This book develops a moral theory that provides a potential background for "wrongful life" suits, and a perspective from which to evaluate new reproductive technologies. The writing is sometimes technical, and non-philosophers may find this book tough going. But from now on, anyone interested in these issues will need to read Roberts.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Weak analysis, December 22, 1999

By 

J. P. Caterwaul (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Child versus Childmaker: Future Persons and Present Duties in Ethics and the Law (Studies in Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy) (Paperback)

This is not a useful or interesting treatment of the issues it raises. The analysis is weak and focused more on terminological problems than on substantive insights. Cannot recommend it for anyone with an interest in the subject matter.