Autonomy, Natality and Freedom: A Liberal Re-examination of Habermas in the Enhancement Debate
Jurgen Habermas has argued that carrying out pre-natal germline enhancements would be inimical to the future child's autonomy. In this article, I suggest that many of the objections that have been made against Habermas' arguments by liberals in the enhancement debate misconstrue his claims...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2015
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| _version_ | 1826287993948733440 |
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| author | Pugh, J |
| author_facet | Pugh, J |
| author_sort | Pugh, J |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Jurgen Habermas has argued that carrying out pre-natal germline enhancements would be inimical to the future child's autonomy. In this article, I suggest that many of the objections that have been made against Habermas' arguments by liberals in the enhancement debate misconstrue his claims. To explain why, I begin by explaining how Habermas' view of personal autonomy confers particular importance to the agent's embodiment and social environment. In view of this, I explain that it is possible to draw two arguments against germline enhancements from Habermas' thought. I call these arguments ‘the argument from negative freedom’ and ‘the argument from natality’. Although I argue that many of the common liberal objections to Habermas are not applicable when his arguments are properly understood, I go on to suggest ways in which supporters of enhancement might appropriately respond to Habermas' arguments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:07:02Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:9f5679f1-94f1-4c54-b19c-390ae44426a2 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:07:02Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:9f5679f1-94f1-4c54-b19c-390ae44426a22022-03-27T00:56:55ZAutonomy, Natality and Freedom: A Liberal Re-examination of Habermas in the Enhancement DebateJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:9f5679f1-94f1-4c54-b19c-390ae44426a2Ethics of the biosciencesPhilosophyEthics (Moral philosophy)Practical ethicsEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.2015Pugh, JJurgen Habermas has argued that carrying out pre-natal germline enhancements would be inimical to the future child's autonomy. In this article, I suggest that many of the objections that have been made against Habermas' arguments by liberals in the enhancement debate misconstrue his claims. To explain why, I begin by explaining how Habermas' view of personal autonomy confers particular importance to the agent's embodiment and social environment. In view of this, I explain that it is possible to draw two arguments against germline enhancements from Habermas' thought. I call these arguments ‘the argument from negative freedom’ and ‘the argument from natality’. Although I argue that many of the common liberal objections to Habermas are not applicable when his arguments are properly understood, I go on to suggest ways in which supporters of enhancement might appropriately respond to Habermas' arguments. |
| spellingShingle | Ethics of the biosciences Philosophy Ethics (Moral philosophy) Practical ethics Pugh, J Autonomy, Natality and Freedom: A Liberal Re-examination of Habermas in the Enhancement Debate |
| title | Autonomy, Natality and Freedom: A Liberal Re-examination of Habermas in the Enhancement Debate |
| title_full | Autonomy, Natality and Freedom: A Liberal Re-examination of Habermas in the Enhancement Debate |
| title_fullStr | Autonomy, Natality and Freedom: A Liberal Re-examination of Habermas in the Enhancement Debate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Autonomy, Natality and Freedom: A Liberal Re-examination of Habermas in the Enhancement Debate |
| title_short | Autonomy, Natality and Freedom: A Liberal Re-examination of Habermas in the Enhancement Debate |
| title_sort | autonomy natality and freedom a liberal re examination of habermas in the enhancement debate |
| topic | Ethics of the biosciences Philosophy Ethics (Moral philosophy) Practical ethics |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pughj autonomynatalityandfreedomaliberalreexaminationofhabermasintheenhancementdebate |