2.8 Childnessless And Celibacy Flashcards
Hostile Religious attitudes to childnessless (NML)
Thomas Aquinas NML theory argues that childlessness violates our God-given telos (to reproduce). POWER. The purpose of our sex organs is to reproduce so not doing so is a perversion of our natural purpose.
Hostile Religious attitudes to childnessless (God)
God instructed Adam and Eve “to be fruitful and multiply” meaning if we stay childless and do not multiply (reproduce) we are going against Gods will
Accepting religious attitudes to childlessness (St Augustine)
St Augustine argued that being single therefore childless is superior to marriage and family but they are both ways of life. Analogy of the hill and mountain, he says both are good just the latter is superior to the former
Accepting religious attitudes to childlessness (St Paul)
St Paul says it is better to remain unmarried, celibate and therefore childless. This enables us to “set our minds on things above, not on earthly things”
Accepting religious attitudes to childlessness (Jesus)
Jesus remained unmarried and childless. Since “in him there is no sin”, childlessness is allowed and must be morally permissible
Accepting non religious arguments to childlessness (Arthur Schopenhauer)
Arthur Schopenhauer argued that because life if full of pain and upset “burden of existence” and we should have sympathy with the people we would bring into this world and don’t have children
Accepting non religious arguments to childlessness (general antinatalist approach)
1) it is wrong to subject people to states, conditions or experiences they haven’t condensed to
2) No one has consented to existence
3) Therefore, it is wrong to give people existence and therefore wrong to have children
Religious hostile attitudes to fertility treatment/genetic engineering (Christian)
Christians believe in a sanctity of life approach where all life has intrinsic value and everyone has a right to life. They say that life begins at conception and in fertility treatment, embryos are thrown away/unused and therefore doing so is a disrespect to human life
Religious situational approach to genetic engineering/fertility treatment
Situation ethicists say that apage love is the most important moral principle and we should do things to maximise apageic love. This means that fertility treatment should be allowed for compassionate reasons
Non religious accepting approach to genetic engineering/fertility treatment
Kant says that we can’t use people as a mere means to an end meaning we can’t use someone to gain something else. However he doesn’t consider embryos to be people yet so it is ok to use them for genetic engineering/fertility treatment
Non-religious situational approach to genetic engineering/fertility treatment
Utilitarians like Stuart Mill say that as long as genetic engineering and fertility treatment maximise overall happiness then it is ok to do but if it doesn’t then it is not morally acceptable to do
Attitude to celibacy (Jesus)
Jesus advocated celibacy for those who felt capable of making this sacrifice to God because having a spouse weakens your connection to God
Attitude to celibacy (St Paul)
Advocated for celibacy and said people should stay celibate however if the urge for lust is too much then they should marry because it is “better to marry than to burn with passion”
