Artificial Wombs, Change-of-Location Birth, and Infanticide

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Ethics
• Bioethics
• Philosophy of Medicine

Background:

• Artificial wombs (ectogenesis) are increasingly discussed regarding their ethical implications.
• Key debates concern whether fetus transfer to artificial wombs constitutes birth and its relation to infanticide.
• Existing arguments, such as Colgrove, Rodger, and Blackshaw's, define birth by fetal relocation from in utero to ex utero.

Purpose of the Study:

• To intervene in the debate on artificial wombs and reproductive ethics.
• To challenge the view that any relocation of a fetus from the uterus to an artificial womb constitutes birth.
• To provide recommendations for future discussions on artificial wombs and infanticide.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis and argumentation.
• Critique of existing ethical viewpoints on ectogenesis and birth.
• Development of ethical recommendations for artificial womb discourse.

Main Results:

• The view that birth occurs upon any fetal relocation to an artificial womb has problematic implications.
• Artificial wombs are unlikely to drastically alter the moral permissibility of ending fetal life.
• The range of potential infanticide victims is not significantly expanded by artificial womb technology.

Conclusions:

• The definition of birth in the context of artificial wombs requires careful ethical consideration.
• Artificial wombs do not fundamentally change the moral status of fetuses concerning infanticide.
• Ethical frameworks for reproductive technologies must be refined to address ectogenesis.