Dena Davis Arguments For Genetic Abortion

1. The three commonly used arguments for genetic abortion according to Kass are: social good, familial good, and natural standard. Social good argues cost effectiveness of the fetus that might not be as productive or benefit society as much as a normal able person would. As many people in history with defects have made great and positive influence to the world, this is not a well fit argument. The process would have to be used for a case by case process with difficulty predicting the outcome. The cost is insufficient to be a reason as it varies and unknown where within the margin of benefit someone might be born to do. The familial good argues for the good of the family, the wishes of the family can be carried out to benefit themselves. The …show more content…
Dena Davis believes the child has the right to an open future. If at any point the parents choose to have the child with the Tay-Sachs gene over a healthy one, then Davis’ argument will apply completely putting the parent in the wrong. If the parent does not know that they were carriers, then the baby born in an un-ideal circumstance rather than to be the parents’ fault. Since now the parents do know the fact the baby will suffer and have a very limited life, Davis would say it would be wrong to have the baby at this point in time. If there is a limiting factor such as the Tay-Sachs gene that inhibits a child to have a full quality life, then according to Davis, the baby should not be had. The reasoning does not come from the suffering the child endures physically like Purdy’s argument but rather the potential life opportunities and limitations, including the time available to live, of the child. For a lady pregnant with a baby with a fetus carrying Tay-Sachs gene, the situation I think determines if Davis’ notion applies. If this was known to begin with, then the parents should not carry this child as it is a deliberate harm to the child; however if this was unknown, then no one was harmed on purpose. If the condition is deemed to be unsuitable for a quality life, then Davis’ ideology would put the baby at no future rather than