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Wrongful Life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 July 2004

David Archard
David Archard
Affiliation:
Lancaster University
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Abstract

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I argue that it is wrong deliberately to bring into existence an individual whose life we can reasonably expect will be of very poor quality. The individual's life would on balance be worth living but would nevertheless fall below a certain threshold. Additionally the prospective parents are unable to have any other child who would enjoy a better existence. Against the claims of John Harris and John Robertson I argue that deliberately to conceive such a child would not be to exercise the right to procreate. For this right is internally constrained by the requirement that any resultant child has the reasonable prospect of a minimally decent life.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy , Volume 79 , Issue 3 , July 2004 , pp. 403 - 420
Copyright
© The Royal Institute of Philosophy 2004