Overview

Having children is probably as old as the first successful organism. It is often done thoughtlessly. This book is an argument for giving procreating some serious thought, and a theory of how, when, and why procreation may be permissible.Rivka Weinberg begins with an analysis of the kind of act procreativity is and why we might be justifiably motivated to engage in it. She then proceeds to argue that, by virtue of our ownership and control of the hazardous material that is our gametes, we are parentally responsible for the risks we take with our gametes and for the persons that develop when we engage in activity that allows our gametes to unite with others and develop into persons. Further argument establishes that when done respectfully, and in cases where the child's chances of leading a life of human flourishing are high, procreation may be permissible. Along the way, Weinberg argues that the non-identity problem is a curiously common mistake. Arguments intending to show that procreation is impermissible because life is bad for people and imposed on them without their consent are shown to have serious flaws. Yet because they leave us with lingering concerns, Weinberg argues that although procreation is permissible under certain conditions, it is not only a welfare risk but also a moral risk. Still, it is a risk that is often permissible for us to take and impose, given our high level of legitimate interest in procreativity. In order to ascertain when the procreative risk is permissible to impose, contractualist principles are proposed to fairly attend to the interests prospective parents have in procreating and the interests future people have in a life of human flourishing. The principles are assessed on their own merits and in comparison with rival principles. They are then applied to a wide variety of procreative cases.

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9780190243708

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Reviews

In his Life of Johnson, Boswell cites 'Madame de Sevigne, who, though she had many enjoyments, felt with delicate sensibility the prevalence of misery' and 'complains of the task of existence having been imposed upon her without her consent.' Given that no one can consent to the risks of misery inherent in coming into existence, this complaint raises the question of when it can be permissible to expose people to these risks by causing them to exist. This is the question addressed in Rivka Weinberg's fascinating and carefully argued book. Written with flair and comic wit that is unusual in philosophy, The Risk of a Lifetime defends a range of bold and controversial judgments about the morality of procreation. -- Jeff McMahan, White's Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Oxford Rivka Weinberg rightly recognizes that life is a risk rather than a gift. Yet she thinks that it is a risk that is sometimes permissibly imposed. She provides an account of the conditions under which this is the case. En route to this conclusion she argues against both those who think that procreation is (almost) always wrong and those who say that it is (almost) always permissible. She writes with clarity, verve and humour, making the The Risk of a Lifetime a risk-free read even for those who will disagree with either her pessimistic inclinations or her relatively optimistic conclusions about the permissibility of procreation. -- David Benatar, Professor and Head of Philosophy, University of Cape Town, South Africa Weinberg's The Risk of a Lifetime treats underappreciated ethical issues of procreation with philosophical intelligence, insight, and flair. --Stephen Darwall, Andrew Downey Orrick Professor of Philosophy, Yale University

This book will certainly appeal to a wide audience. Each of the six chapters can be read on its own, independent from the others...the reader will certainly not be disappointed by her novel perspective on procreation. -- Silviya Aleksandrova-Yankulovska, Medical University of Pleven, Teorethical Medicine and Bioethics The reader will certainly not be disappointed by her novel perspective on procreation. -- Silviya Aleksandrova-Yankulovska, Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics This is an intereting and useful book -- George W. Rainbolt, Australasian Journal of Philosophy Those who follow the field will no doubt find these wide-ranging discussions fruitful --Sarah Conly, Journal of Moral Philosophy In his Life of Johnson, Boswell cites 'Madame de Sevigne, who, though she had many enjoyments, felt with delicate sensibility the prevalence of misery' and 'complains of the task of existence having been imposed upon her without her consent.' Given that no one can consent to the risks of misery inherent in coming into existence, this complaint raises the question of when it can be permissible to expose people to these risks by causing them to exist. This is the question addressed in Rivka Weinberg's fascinating and carefully argued book. Written with flair and comic wit that is unusual in philosophy, The Risk of a Lifetime defends a range of bold and controversial judgments about the morality of procreation. -- Jeff McMahan, White's Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Oxford Rivka Weinberg rightly recognizes that life is a risk rather than a gift. Yet she thinks that it is a risk that is sometimes permissibly imposed. She provides an account of the conditions under which this is the case. En route to this conclusion she argues against both those who think that procreation is (almost) always wrong and those who say that it is (almost) always permissible. She writes with clarity, verve and humour, making the The Risk of a Lifetime a risk-free read even for those who will disagree with either her pessimistic inclinations or her relatively optimistic conclusions about the permissibility of procreation. -- David Benatar, Professor and Head of Philosophy, University of Cape Town, South Africa Weinberg's The Risk of a Lifetime treats underappreciated ethical issues of procreation with philosophical intelligence, insight, and flair. --Stephen Darwall, Andrew Downey Orrick Professor of Philosophy, Yale University ...a well-argued, insightful, and lively discussion of the issues surrounding this underappreciated topic. -- Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online Weinberg's The Risk of a Lifetime is a must-read for anyone interested in procreative ethics generally or in understanding how a contractualist approach might be applied in the context of procreative ethics. Moreover, I can't think of a recent book that would be more valuable, more fun, or more engaging for students--or their instructors--in any mid-or upper-level course or seminar or in any graduate course in applied or normative ethics or in population ethics. -- Ethics

Author Information

Rivka Weinberg is Professor of Philosophy at Scripps College, Claremont. She received her PhD. in philosophy from the University of Michigan. As a philosopher and bioethicist, Weinberg specializes in ethical and metaphysical issues regarding birth and death.

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