Parental responsibility in the context of neuroscience and genetics

Kristien Hens (Editor), Daniela Cutas (Editor), Dorothee Horstkötter (Editor)

Research output: Book/ReportAnthology (editor)Researchpeer-review

Abstract

Should parents aim to make their children as normal as possible to increase their chances to "fit in"? Are neurological and mental health conditions a part of children's identity and if so, should parents aim to remove or treat these? Should they aim to instil self-control in their children? Should prospective parents take steps to insure that, of all the children they could have, they choose the ones with the best likely start in life?

This volume explores all of these questions and more. Against the background of recent findings and expected advances in neuroscience and genetics, the extent and limits of parental responsibility are increasingly unclear. Awareness of the effects of parental choices on children's wellbeing, as well as evolving norms about the moral status of children, have further increased expectations from (prospective) parents to take up and act on their changing responsibilities. The contributors discuss conceptual issues such as the meaning and sources of moral responsibility, normality, treatment, and identity. They also explore more practical issues such as how responsibility for children is practiced in Yoruba culture in Nigeria or how parents and health professionals in Belgium perceive the dilemmas generated by prenatal diagnosis.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherSpringer
Number of pages246
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-319-42834-5
ISBN (Print)978-3-319-42832-1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Genetics
  • Neurosciences

Free keywords

  • moral responsibility
  • neuroscience
  • genetics
  • children
  • parents
  • epigenetics
  • parental responsibility

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