Quo vadis, bioethics.

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Medical Ethics
• Moral Philosophy

Background:

• A recent paper proposed the ethical permissibility of infanticide for newborns, termed "postbirth abortion."
• This concept challenges established ethical norms and traditions within the medical profession.
• The proposal is viewed as a potential slippery slope, risking a gradual erosion of moral standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze the ethical permissibility of infanticide for newborns as proposed by Giubilini and Minerva.
• To compare the "postbirth abortion" concept with historical and philosophical trends in ethical thought.
• To highlight the potential dangers and negative consequences of adopting such a proposal.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the "postbirth abortion" argument.
• Comparative ethical review of historical and contemporary viewpoints on infanticide and newborn value.
• Ethical risk assessment focusing on the slippery slope argument.

Main Results:

• The proposal represents a significant departure from widely accepted ethical principles regarding the value of human life.
• Historical parallels reveal similar ethically questionable arguments that have led to harmful outcomes.
• The concept poses a substantial risk to established medical ethics and societal values.

Conclusions:

• The concept of "postbirth abortion" is ethically impermissible and represents a dangerous erosion of moral norms.
• Abandoning the intrinsic value of human life from birth invites a perilous slippery slope.
• The medical profession must uphold its tradition of valuing all human life from birth.