Brandt, Reuven (2017) The transfer and delegation of responsibilities for genetic offspring in gamete provision. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 34 (5). pp. 665-678. ISSN 0264-3758
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Abstract
In this article I reject the claim that the responsibilities acquired by gamete providers can be transferred to their biological children’s intending parents. I defend this position by first showing that arguments in defence of the transferability of responsibilities in gamete provision cases fail to distinguish between the transfer and delegation of responsibility. I then provide an argument against the transferability of responsibilities in gamete provision cases that differs from the ones offered by James Lindemann Nelson and Rivka Weinberg. Though I conclude that gamete providers have inalienable responsibilities towards their biological offspring,I note that the precise ethical and policy implications this has for gamete provision remain somewhat unclear.