Impairment, Flourishing, and the Moral Nature of Parenthood

Abstract

This chapter assumes a virtue-based approach to parental decision-making. According to this view, parents cannot largely make choices pertaining to procreative decision-making based on the non-identity of the potential child. The child's welfare should not be a factor in decision making unless there is significant risk that her life is one not worth living. Otherwise, if she is assured of a worthwhile life, then she should be born. This chapter also emphasizes the significance of considering the wellbeing of potential children, whether to have them or not. Virtuous parents would take correct procreative choices and three of these virtues are as follows: to accept the characteristics of the c..