Citation

Dodds S, Jones K. Bioethics 1989; 3(1): 35-39.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11650111

Abstract

The authors respond to Laura Purdy's article, "Surrogate mothering: exploitation or empowerment?," in the same issue of Bioethics. They contend that focusing on what is necessarily wrong with surrogate motherhood contracts allows Purdy to overlook the contingent features of classist, patriarchal society that make such contracts morally wrong and to marginalize feminist concerns. Theoretical fallacies within Purdy's consequentialist framework create too individualistic and narrow a discussion of the possible harms of surrogate contracts, ignoring influences upon women as a group and the psychological risks to the surrogate mother. If surrogacy contracts have the potential to empower women, then we must see some specific changes that would make this a reality, given that Purdy does not mean surrogacy as it is currently practised.

Language: en