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Redefining human life
304
Book
Reviews
Redefining Human Life. By Robert Blank. Boulder, Colorado: 1983. $25.00, 280 pp.
Westview. November
The social impact of reproductive technology is bound to become a hot issue over the next decade as its development provides people with unprecedented reproductive choices and as intervention into the reproductive process begins to become medical standard operating procedure. In RedeJining Human Life: Reproductive Technologies and Social Policy, Robert Blank goes so far as to argue that the development of reproductive technologies will lead to a social redefinition of what it means to be ‘human’. In the process, present American conceptions about the relative roles of individual choice and state interest in reproductive decision making will become outmoded and important social policy questions will have to be addressed. Among the technological developments which Blank considers are reversible sterilization techniques, which will increase control of when reproduction will occur; genetic screening, which will permit ever greater awareness of the existence of fetal defects; genetic preselection techniques which will allow parents to determine the sex and other traits of their offspring; techniques of fetal surgery, which will push back the point at which a fetus can be considered viable; and in vitro fertilization, which in combination with surrogate parenting, creates the possibility that one woman may be able to carry someone else’s baby. In examining the possible social impacts of these practices, Blank is concerned to point out the ‘cross-currents’ of trends that may be created. Thus, he suggests that while reproductive technologies may be employed to enhance the control of the individual over the reproductive process, they may also be used to enhance the power of the state over reproductive matters. In a similar vein, he argues that the development of certain reproductive technologies, such as fete1 surgery, may exert pressure on society to view abortion as less acceptable by making more problematic the question of what constitutes viability in a fetus, while other technologies, such as genetic screening, would seem to militate toward greater acceptance of abortion by enhancing our ability to cull out defective fetuses. The government might enter this traditionally private zone of decision making to protect fetal rights, protect against wrongful birth, protect the fetal environment, and to protect against the possiblity of demographic imbalances as reproductive choices are aggregated (the overselection of males, for example), among other reasons. Traditionally the courts have been responsible for regulating reproductive choice, and they have generally acted to protect reproductive decisions as a zone of privacy for parents. Professor Blank argues, however, that the new choices are unprecedented in terms of our legal traditions, and that the courts are incapable of creating the type of overarching policy which is needed to define and protect the public good. As an alternative, Professor Blank calls for the development of a national policy regarding reproductive technology and reproductive choice. His call is made despite several reservations about how the policy making process will work where such complex and technical issues are at stake. He notes, for example, that there is no value consensus in the United States regarding the use of reproductive technology, there is no solid evidence of the nature of the impacts these technologies are likely to have, and that only a small part of the public is informed enough to effectively participate in the policy making process. The reader interested in issues involving reproduction or in the impact of reproductive technology will find the middle of this book (chapters 2, 3 and 4) to be informative and
Book Reviews
305
insightful. These chapters detail the nature of reproductive technologies and their implications, especially as these are expressed in legal concepts, precedents, and decisions. When he is not talking about specific court cases, however, Professor Blank’s assessment of the impact of reproductive technology is based more on assumptions than on analysis. This is for the most part necessary because many of the technologies are still being developed and others are yet to be widely used. Given his claim that choices regarding the use of these technologies will affect the public good, however, Professor Blank might have done more to examine the impacts of technologies such as sterilizations, contraception and artificial insemination, which have been around for a considerable time and are widely used. Chapters 2, 5 and 6 are devoted to the social and value context of reproductive technologies and to their social policy implications. The empirically oriented behavioral scientist will find some sections of this presentation unsatisfying because they rely on analysis of philosopical systems more than data to assessthe values of Americans relative to reproductive choice. Perhaps more troubling, though, is the persistent call for social policy on reproduction where values are not consensual, social impacts are not clear, and issues still too complex for a large part of the public to comprehend. Rational planning would seem difficult under these circumstances, and one could argue that the more conservative and incremental decision making of the courts is better suited to this situation. Given the emotional content of many reproduction issues, one also has to wonder what type of social policy we would be likely to get. Professor Blank’s analysis, however, lacks an investigation of how political and social forces line up on these issues and what type of policy would be viable. There is no detailed examination of abortion politics and policy, for example, a seemingly central issue for anyone writing about reproductive policy. And if abortion politics are any indication, a somewhat restrictive reproductive policy might likely be the offering were we to have a policy. The more conservative direction of the courts in protecting rights to privacy in decision making may again be preferable. In summary, Redefining Human Life offers a considerable amount of information regarding the legal implications of reproductive technologies. Where social policy is concerned, however, the analysis is often too abstract and narrow and many key issues remain inadequately examined. Thomas A. Leitho and Arthur L. Greil Division of Social Sciences, AIfred University, Alfred, NY 14802, USA
Book
Reviews
Redefining Human Life. By Robert Blank. Boulder, Colorado: 1983. $25.00, 280 pp.
Westview. November
The social impact of reproductive technology is bound to become a hot issue over the next decade as its development provides people with unprecedented reproductive choices and as intervention into the reproductive process begins to become medical standard operating procedure. In RedeJining Human Life: Reproductive Technologies and Social Policy, Robert Blank goes so far as to argue that the development of reproductive technologies will lead to a social redefinition of what it means to be ‘human’. In the process, present American conceptions about the relative roles of individual choice and state interest in reproductive decision making will become outmoded and important social policy questions will have to be addressed. Among the technological developments which Blank considers are reversible sterilization techniques, which will increase control of when reproduction will occur; genetic screening, which will permit ever greater awareness of the existence of fetal defects; genetic preselection techniques which will allow parents to determine the sex and other traits of their offspring; techniques of fetal surgery, which will push back the point at which a fetus can be considered viable; and in vitro fertilization, which in combination with surrogate parenting, creates the possibility that one woman may be able to carry someone else’s baby. In examining the possible social impacts of these practices, Blank is concerned to point out the ‘cross-currents’ of trends that may be created. Thus, he suggests that while reproductive technologies may be employed to enhance the control of the individual over the reproductive process, they may also be used to enhance the power of the state over reproductive matters. In a similar vein, he argues that the development of certain reproductive technologies, such as fete1 surgery, may exert pressure on society to view abortion as less acceptable by making more problematic the question of what constitutes viability in a fetus, while other technologies, such as genetic screening, would seem to militate toward greater acceptance of abortion by enhancing our ability to cull out defective fetuses. The government might enter this traditionally private zone of decision making to protect fetal rights, protect against wrongful birth, protect the fetal environment, and to protect against the possiblity of demographic imbalances as reproductive choices are aggregated (the overselection of males, for example), among other reasons. Traditionally the courts have been responsible for regulating reproductive choice, and they have generally acted to protect reproductive decisions as a zone of privacy for parents. Professor Blank argues, however, that the new choices are unprecedented in terms of our legal traditions, and that the courts are incapable of creating the type of overarching policy which is needed to define and protect the public good. As an alternative, Professor Blank calls for the development of a national policy regarding reproductive technology and reproductive choice. His call is made despite several reservations about how the policy making process will work where such complex and technical issues are at stake. He notes, for example, that there is no value consensus in the United States regarding the use of reproductive technology, there is no solid evidence of the nature of the impacts these technologies are likely to have, and that only a small part of the public is informed enough to effectively participate in the policy making process. The reader interested in issues involving reproduction or in the impact of reproductive technology will find the middle of this book (chapters 2, 3 and 4) to be informative and
Book Reviews
305
insightful. These chapters detail the nature of reproductive technologies and their implications, especially as these are expressed in legal concepts, precedents, and decisions. When he is not talking about specific court cases, however, Professor Blank’s assessment of the impact of reproductive technology is based more on assumptions than on analysis. This is for the most part necessary because many of the technologies are still being developed and others are yet to be widely used. Given his claim that choices regarding the use of these technologies will affect the public good, however, Professor Blank might have done more to examine the impacts of technologies such as sterilizations, contraception and artificial insemination, which have been around for a considerable time and are widely used. Chapters 2, 5 and 6 are devoted to the social and value context of reproductive technologies and to their social policy implications. The empirically oriented behavioral scientist will find some sections of this presentation unsatisfying because they rely on analysis of philosopical systems more than data to assessthe values of Americans relative to reproductive choice. Perhaps more troubling, though, is the persistent call for social policy on reproduction where values are not consensual, social impacts are not clear, and issues still too complex for a large part of the public to comprehend. Rational planning would seem difficult under these circumstances, and one could argue that the more conservative and incremental decision making of the courts is better suited to this situation. Given the emotional content of many reproduction issues, one also has to wonder what type of social policy we would be likely to get. Professor Blank’s analysis, however, lacks an investigation of how political and social forces line up on these issues and what type of policy would be viable. There is no detailed examination of abortion politics and policy, for example, a seemingly central issue for anyone writing about reproductive policy. And if abortion politics are any indication, a somewhat restrictive reproductive policy might likely be the offering were we to have a policy. The more conservative direction of the courts in protecting rights to privacy in decision making may again be preferable. In summary, Redefining Human Life offers a considerable amount of information regarding the legal implications of reproductive technologies. Where social policy is concerned, however, the analysis is often too abstract and narrow and many key issues remain inadequately examined. Thomas A. Leitho and Arthur L. Greil Division of Social Sciences, AIfred University, Alfred, NY 14802, USA