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Published on: April 19, 2017
Can infants have interests in continued life?
1Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. chris.kaposy@dal.ca
Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics
|October 12, 2007
Summary
Infants possess interests in continued life, even without future anticipation. This view is supported by others valuing the infant's future, distinct from animal rights or abortion debates.
Area of Science:
- Moral Philosophy
- Bioethics
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Philosophers Peter Singer and Jeff McMahan question infant interests in life due to limited future anticipation.
- Singer posits the future lacks value for infants; McMahan assigns it minimal value.
Purpose of the Study:
- Critically analyze arguments questioning infant interests in continued life.
- Defend the position that infants can possess interests in living.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical analysis of existing arguments.
- Development of a counter-argument based on third-party perspective.
Main Results:
- Infants can have interests in continued life, supported by others' anticipation of their future.
- This perspective does not necessitate opposition to abortion.
Conclusions:
- Ethical obligations to infants are not equivalent to those for sentient animals.
- The capacity for future anticipation is not a prerequisite for having interests in continued life.
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