Issues in Sexual Ethics

Continuation

Conclusion to Reproductive Technologies

  1. The concept of Natural Law plays an important role; the normative behavior rationally determined; two senses of it pertaining to Reproductive Technologies
  1. narrow--only through conjugal intercourse, carried by gestational mother
  2. broad--fulfill human purpose through procreation
  3. if the narrow alone is right, then the broad is impermissible; but if the broad is right, then

the narrow is not necessarily wrong or the only understanding of Reproductive Technologies

 

  1. Moral justification for procreation
  1. wrong to have children as 1)pets or 2) commodities
  2. having children becomes an extension of the morality of the family
  3. the biblical command "to be fruitful"--no generation can treat itself as the "terminal generation"
  4. the family must have a moral purpose--the moral genealogy of the family determines the morality
  5. having a progeny

  6. having children is a sign of hope and faithfulness to God (Hauerwas)

 

  1. The moral justification of having children does not rule out the broad sense of justifying Reproductive Technologies
  1. using Reproductive Technologies as a "machine"--control and dominance
  2. using them as "techne"--to fulfill the moral purpose