Just Parents?

The “Tragedy” of Subsidizing ARTs: A Policy Dilemma Between Equity and Normativity

Francesca Miccoli, University of Basel (francesca.miccoli@unibas.ch)

ABSTRACT: This paper explores whether public funding of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) can be ethically justified without reinforcing oppressive gender and family norms. The dilemma is this: state-supported ARTs risk reinforcing essentialist and geneticist norms, but not supporting them risks discriminating against those who cannot reproduce through sexual intercourse. This would be particularly burdensome for worse-off women and queer individuals (already vulnerable subjects from an intersectional perspective). The aim is not to resolve the dilemma entirely but to show that, if public funding is maintained, it should be complemented by policies that reduce the normative costs of ARTs and promote more inclusive forms of family-making.

Collaboration of Parents: About the Ethics of Co-Parenthood

Johanna Rensing, University of Basel (johanna.rensing@unibas.ch)

ABSTRACT: Co-parenthood is a highly underexplored interpersonal relationship within family systems. While considerable philosophical work has been conducted on other interpersonal relationships, such as the parent-child relationship, there is a notable lack of philosophical research on the relationship between parents who raise their children together. Most philosophical work concerning the parents-parents relationship solely focuses on the parents’ (legal) status, such as marriage or their romantic relationship as a couple. However, I will show that the co-parenting relationship is a morally relevant relationship on its own. My PhD thesis aims to go beyond the ordinary understanding of co-parenting and deliver an analytical understanding of co-parenthood that allows me to address some pressing ethical questions concerning co-parenthood. My thesis will address and answer questions like: (i) What is a co-parenting relationship? (ii) How does one enter, maintain and exit a co-parenting relationship? (iii) What defines a morally good co-parenting relationship? (iv) What moral duties do co-parents have to one another within their co-parenting relationship? (v) And finally, what policy implications might result from my analysis? One of my main goals is to show that there are duties and rights arising from a co-parenting relationship that have something to do with the fact of being in this kind of relationship. Further, I will argue that not all the duties and rights within a co-parenting relationship arise solely because they are in the interest of the parents’ children.