Article Text
Theoretical ethics
Paper
Fear of a female planet: how John Harris came to endorse eugenic social engineering
Abstract
In this paper, I respond to criticisms by John Harris, contained in a commentary on my article “Harris, harmed states, and sexed bodies”, which appeared in the Journal of Medical Ethics, volume 37, number 5. I argue that Harris's response to my criticisms exposes the strong eugenic tendencies in his own thought, when he suggests that the reproductive obligations of parents should be determined with reference to a claim about what would enhance ‘society’ or ‘the species’.
- Bioethics
- biomedical enhancement
- genetic enhancement
- human enhancement
- John Harris
- harm
- philosophical ethics
- history of health ethics/bioethics
- enhancement
- sex predetermination/selection
- eugenics
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