Is selective abortion the new eugenics? : The ethical questionability of selective abortion in the case of disability

• Main Author: Emmanuel, Leanna Devadas
• Other Authors: Andrew T. Forcehimes
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Humanities
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/73527
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The current emphasis on the exploration of the human genome has had multifold impacts on multiple fields, including the field of bioethics. One fear that has arisen from this is the fear that genetic testing (particularly prenatal testing) for the selective abortion of foetuses with disabilities will end in modern-day eugenics. The similarity between the two is undeniable, as disabled foetuses are often aborted under selective abortion procedures purely because of their disability, without consideration for their individual lives. This paper aims to show that selective abortion in the case of foetuses with disabilities is a form of modern-day eugenics, and illustrate why it is ethically suspect. This will be done by considering both the utilitarian argument that calls for selective abortion, and the expressivist argument that is rooted in disability rights.