McMahan: The Morality of Screening for Disability

Question 1

Crucial premise

Answer 1

if it would be morally objectionable (forbidden) to prevent a certain outcome, then it ought to be morally permissible for someone to cause that outcome (p. 572-573)

Question 2

causing disability

Answer 2

the difference between causing an actual person to become disabled versus causing a disabled person to exist (transition costs and autonomy)

Question 3

consideration of anti-screening arguments

Answer 3

1. promotes a group prejudice like racism
2. could harm individual disabled people, undermining their visibility and power
3. reducing number of disabled people undermines diversity
4. promotes a hurtful message to existing disabled people (571)

Question 4

strategy

Answer 4

to show that anti-screening arguments have objectionable consequences

Question 5

strategy: to show that anti-screening arguments have objectionable consequences

Answer 5

• thought experiment
• it is wrong to cause an already existing, born child to be disabled
• it is wrong to cause a prenatal injury to cause a future child to be disabled
• so, isn’t it wrong to deliberately cause a disabled child to exist? 574

Question 6

thought experiment

Answer 6

taking a drug that increases sexual pleasure but increases the chances of conceiving a disabled child. Considering the following assumptions

Question 7

consistency

Answer 7

M thinks that if it is morally wrong to create a disabled child, then it must be morally permitted to avoid having a disabled child (572)

Question 8

causing disability

Answer 8

1. evaluate mcmahan’s example
2. discuss the crucial premise: if it would be morally objectionable (forbidden) to prevent a certain outcome… then it ought to be morally permissible for someone to cause that outcome (572-573)

Question 9

causing disability

Answer 9

• explain the difference between causing an actual person to become disabled versus causing a disabled person to exist
• transition costs and autonomy