Reproductive autonomy as self-making: procreative liberty and the practice of ethical subjectivity.
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Abstract | :
In this article, I consider recent debates on the notion of procreative liberty, to argue that reproductive freedom can be understood as a form of positive freedom-that is, the freedom to make oneself according to various ethical and aesthetic principles or values. To make this argument, I draw on Michel Foucault's later work on ethics. Both adopting and adapting Foucault's notion of ethics as a practice of the self and of liberty, I argue that reproductive autonomy requires enactment to gain meaning within the life contexts of prospective parents. Thus, I propose a shift away from the standard negative model of freedom that sees it solely as a matter of noninterference or nonimpedance, a view advocated by major commentators such as John Harris and John Robertson. Instead, reproduction should be understood as a deeply personal project of self-making that integrates both negative and positive freedom. |
Year of Publication | :
2013
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Journal | :
The Journal of medicine and philosophy
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Volume | :
38
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Issue | :
6
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Number of Pages | :
639-56
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ISSN Number | :
0360-5310
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URL | :
https://academic.oup.com/jmp/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/jmp/jht046
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DOI | :
10.1093/jmp/jht046
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Short Title | :
J Med Philos
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