Présentation de Martin McCallum « Nostalgia and Politics in Rousseau » et de Jurgen De Wispelaere « State Regulation and Assisted Reproduction : Balancing the Interests of Parents and Children »

Abstract (De Wispelaere) : Advances in medical technology make it increasingly possible for a couple (or a single individual) unable to conceive naturally to bring into the world a “child of their own” through assisted reproductive technologies (ART). While principled resistance to reproductive assistance persists, in many jurisdictions access to such assistance is permissible and even actively supported. But those who find no moral objection to the use of reproductive assistance as such may still think there are good reasons for the state to legitimately regulate and possibly restrict its availability. The purpose of this chapter is to delineate the conditions under which we might think certain limits on ART justified. Specifically, we examine whether the existence of large numbers of adoptive children in need of parents warrants restricting access to assisted reproduction.