Children of Choice: Freedom and the New Reproductive Technologies

by John A. Robertson

Cloning, genetic screening, embryo freezing, in vitro fertilization, Norplant, RU486--these are the technologies revolutionizing our reproductive landscape. Through the lens of procreative liberty--meaning both the freedom to decide whether or not to have children as well as the freedom to control one's reproductive capacity--John Robertson, a leading legal bioethicist, analyzes the ethical, legal, and social controversies surrounding each major technology and opens up a multitude of fascinating questions: Do frozen embryos have the right to be born? Should parents be allowed to select offspring traits? May a government force welfare recipients to take contraceptives? Robertson's arguments examine the broad range of consequences of each reproductive technology and offers a timely, multifaceted analysis of the competing interests at stake for patients, couples, doctors, policymakers, lawyers, and ethicists.

Genres: Nonfiction

281 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John A. Robertson wrote and lectured widely on law and bioethical issues.

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem of a book. Friends urged me to write my own take on new reproductive technologies, now no longer so new, and referred to as assisted reproduction because I disagreed with John at several places. But as I attempted to do so, I realized that I accepted his framework of reproductive liberty, and I thought that he could easily accept my recommendations for amending it. I don't think he ever did, but I dropped that book project and instead updated "Life Before Birth: The Moral and Legal Status of Embryos and Fetuses" (Oxford, 1992, 2011). Some of the facts have changed, but the principles and arguments in Robertson's masterpiece are as relevant as ever.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Claiming that unborn children do not have "interests" and therefore are not people until the third trimester, this author supports abortion and creating embryos and fetuses for spare parts or medical experimentation. He seems to tie himself up in logical knots explaining why things like conceiving a child one intends to abort for fetal tissue is ethical. Any arguments that promote respect for fetal life he claims are only squeamishness and emotionalism on the part of pro-lifers, and that the way cannibalizing preborn babies for body parts offends pro-lifers is not grounds to restrict it.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books is interesting, but mildly frustrating. I have a difficult time with men expounding on women's reproductive freedom - but maybe that's just me.

[Merlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

John A. Robertson is a lawyer, and it shows through this extensive, sometimes dry, but incredibly thorough book. He has done his research on the precedence of many burgeoning bioethical issues, and this book comes very well-argued and fair.