The right to procreate - Freedom and necessity
Date
2005
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Health & Medical Publishing Group
Abstract
Rights do not exist without corresponding obligations. As with
all rights, the right to reproduce has a flip-side, viz. the duty
and responsibility to control it. Matters of life and death and
ethical issues surrounding the beginning and end of life are at
the heart of bioethical debates. The view that life is a gift that is
not ours to give and take is at the heart of the religious and
moral tradition. However, the taking of life seems to attract
more moral consideration than the giving. The ethics of adding
more people to life rather than more life to people is
conspicuously shunned. As noted by Campbell et al.,1
‘ironically, the sanctity with which we endow all human life
often works to the detriment of those unfortunate humans
whose lives hold no prospect except suffering’.
Description
CITATION: Van Bogaert, L.-J. 2005. The right to procreate - Freedom and necessity. South African Medical Journal, 95(1):32-34.
The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.za
The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.za
Keywords
Medical ethics, Reproduction