著者

柴嵜 雅子

出版者

大阪国際大学

雑誌

国際研究論叢 : 大阪国際大学紀要 (ISSN:09153586)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.26, no.1, pp.85-101, 2012-10-31

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Official policies on prenatal diagnosis (PND) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in Japan are substantially stricter than in many Western countries due partly to aggressive protests by some activists. They claim that PND and PGD followed by selective termination represent Nazi-like selection and devalue those living with disabilities. There are, however, some flaws in this so-called 'expressivist argument.' First, it grants unwittingly the moral status of born children to pre-embryos and fetuses. Second, it ignores the difference in kind and severity among various impairments which require specific treatment. Third, history shows that PND and PGD have developed hand in hand with the growing support for disability rights. Therefore, fourth, the fact that people with disabilities might feel offended does not suffice as a reason to override the reproductive rights of prospective parents who want to benefit from the modern technologies.