The Confucian Case for a Married Couple's Social Embryo Freezing

Current policies in mainland China strictly distinguish between social egg or embryo freezing and medical egg or embryo freezing. Single women are not allowed to undergo social egg freezing, and even married couples are prohibited from social embryo freezing. This paper argues, from the perspective of Confucian virtue ethics, which is still the most influential traditional ethical framework in contemporary Chinese society, that prohibiting married couples from social embryo freezing cannot be justified. It also refutes the arguments supporting this ban point by point, showing that they are morally unfounded. The paper concludes that the ban should be lifted. This is not intended to encourage married couples to freeze embryos or to consider social embryo freezing an ideal reproductive choice according to Confucian ethics. Rather, it aims to highlight an important Confucian ethical point: just because social embryo freezing is not an ideal reproductive choice, it does not necessarily justify prohibition by state power.