Morality

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the morality of a poor woman selling her in vitro eggs for reproductive purposes to wealthy women unable to conceive. The author points out that to apply "morality" to an actually existing code of conduct, such as in this case, is quite likely to lead to some form of relativism. The paper reflects that morality is not a simple equation to be answered in one overarching example but rather an individualistic and personal issue that cannot be judged.

From the Paper:

"This paper discusses the morality of poor women selling their eggs, for reproductive purposes, to wealthy women unable to conceive. In order to set the framework for such a philosophical discussion, however, one must first define morality. How morality is defined plays a crucial, although often unacknowledged, role in formulating ethical theories. To take "morality" to refer to an actually existing code of conduct is quite likely to lead to some form of relativism. Among those who use "morality" normatively, different specifications of the conditions under which all rational persons would put forward a code of conduct result in different kinds of moral theories. To claim that "morality" in the normative sense does not have any referent, that is, to claim that there is no code of conduct that, under any plausible specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons, results in moral skepticism."

More papers on Morality:

• Comparison Essay # 57633 : "Benefits of a Teleological Theory of Morality"
• Essay # 96969 : "Morality in Plato's "Republic"
• Analytical Essay # 4432 : "The Secret Agent": Human Nature vs. Morality"

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