What Do We Owe Our Genetic Relatives?
(2025) In Journal of the American Philosophical Association p.1-19- Abstract
- Do we owe anything to our genetic relatives qua genetic relatives? The philosophical literature has primarily addressed this question in the context of procreation. But genetic matching databases raise the question of whether we owe anything to previously unknown genetic relatives. This article argues that influential philosophical arguments regarding moral claims to know one’s genetic origins (sometimes referred to as a ‘right to know’) in the context of gamete donation have implications for a broader set of claims. First, these arguments imply more than a claim to know the identity of a genetic relative; the interests which they invoke can only be satisfied through a relationship. Second, the scope of the claims is broader than tends to... (More)
- Do we owe anything to our genetic relatives qua genetic relatives? The philosophical literature has primarily addressed this question in the context of procreation. But genetic matching databases raise the question of whether we owe anything to previously unknown genetic relatives. This article argues that influential philosophical arguments regarding moral claims to know one’s genetic origins (sometimes referred to as a ‘right to know’) in the context of gamete donation have implications for a broader set of claims. First, these arguments imply more than a claim to know the identity of a genetic relative; the interests which they invoke can only be satisfied through a relationship. Second, the scope of the claims is broader than tends to be acknowledged: even if procreators have special obligations towards their offspring, these arguments imply that weighty moral claims can be made against other genetic relatives in many different contexts. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/f131c66f-c456-421c-96d5-05b1da6694da
- author
- Brake, Elizabeth and Cutas, Daniela LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-03-20
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- genetic ties, genetic relatives, moral claims
- in
- Journal of the American Philosophical Association
- pages
- 1 - 19
- publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105001178052
- ISSN
- 2053-4477
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- f131c66f-c456-421c-96d5-05b1da6694da
- date added to LUP
- 2025-03-20 09:49:52
- date last changed
- 2025-04-07 04:01:53
@article{f131c66f-c456-421c-96d5-05b1da6694da,
abstract = {{Do we owe anything to our genetic relatives qua genetic relatives? The philosophical literature has primarily addressed this question in the context of procreation. But genetic matching databases raise the question of whether we owe anything to previously unknown genetic relatives. This article argues that influential philosophical arguments regarding moral claims to know one’s genetic origins (sometimes referred to as a ‘right to know’) in the context of gamete donation have implications for a broader set of claims. First, these arguments imply more than a claim to know the identity of a genetic relative; the interests which they invoke can only be satisfied through a relationship. Second, the scope of the claims is broader than tends to be acknowledged: even if procreators have special obligations towards their offspring, these arguments imply that weighty moral claims can be made against other genetic relatives in many different contexts.}},
author = {{Brake, Elizabeth and Cutas, Daniela}},
issn = {{2053-4477}},
keywords = {{genetic ties; genetic relatives; moral claims}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{03}},
pages = {{1--19}},
publisher = {{Cambridge University Press}},
series = {{Journal of the American Philosophical Association}},
title = {{What Do We Owe Our Genetic Relatives?}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/211867192/what-do-we-owe-our-genetic-relatives.pdf}},
year = {{2025}},
}