A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

A critical take on procreative justice




AuthorsRäsänen Joona, Bengtson Andreas, Cossette-Lefebvre Hugo, Lippert-Rasmussen Kasper

PublisherJohn Wiley & Sons Ltd

Publishing placeHoboken

Publication year2024

JournalBioethics

Journal name in sourceBIOETHICS

Journal acronymBIOETHICS

Volume38

Issue4

First page 367

Last page374

Number of pages8

ISSN0269-9702

eISSN1467-8519

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13274

Web address https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13274

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/387310498


Abstract
Herjeet Kaur Marway recently proposed the Principle of Procreative Justice, which says that reproducers have a strong moral obligation to avoid completing race and colour injustices through their selection choices. In this article, we analyze this principle and argue, appealing to a series of counterexamples, that some of the implications of Marway's Principle of Procreative Justice are difficult to accept. This casts doubt on whether the principle should be adopted. Also, we show that there are some more principled worries regarding Marway's idea of a strong pro tanto duty not to complete injustices through one's procreative choices. Nonetheless, we believe Marway's arguments point in the right general direction regarding duties and structural injustice. Thus, in the final part, we suggest a positive proposal on how it would be possible to respond to the cases we raise. More specifically, we explore the suggestion that agents have a pro tanto duty to participate in eliminating structural injustice. Importantly, this duty can be satisfied, not only in procreation choices but in multiple ways.



Last updated on 2025-24-03 at 11:37