Law Commons^™

The Rise Of The Reproductive Brothel In The Global Economy: Some Thoughts On Reproductive Tourism, Autonomy, And Justice, April L. Cherry

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This article explores some of the ethical issues raised by the rise of a global reproductive tourism model that includes “the reproductive brothel,” a place where women are gathered together in confined areas and their reproductive capacities sold to men as commodities. After exploring the phenomenon of reproductive tourism as it has developed in India, and the ways in which economic globalization has shaped the practice, the article then considers two ethical responses to the development of the practice of global commercial surrogacy; the first of which focuses on the value of autonomy (both as choice and as dignity), and …

Cloning: A Jewish Law Perspective With A Comparative Study Of Other Abrahamic Traditions, Stephen J. Werber

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This Article does not provide answers to the religious, ethical, and moral issues posed by advanced reproductive techniques in human cloning. Rather, the preceding analysis and discussion seeks to make a contribution, however modest, to the continuation of the societal discussion that will ultimately yield the answers. This Article presents the common concerns of the religious traditions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity with their mutual emphasis on preserving the dignity of all beings. This and other common values must form the foundation upon which all questions related to the cloning debate must be predicated.

Tell Me A Story: Using Short Fiction In Teaching Law And Bioethics, Dena S. Davis

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

For some years now, I have been experimenting with the use of short stories. Despite rich resources for stories, there remains a void best filled by fiction. When discussing fiction, we can probe, criticize, and express ourselves freely without the constraints we feel when discussing real people. Good fiction lays bare the innermost thoughts and experiences of its characters, perhaps even their dreams and nightmares, in a way that would be intrusive, uncomfortable, or impossible, even in autobiography. When the entire class reads a short story, it provides a pool of shared experience, a fixed point for discussion. Just as …

Ancient Answers To Modern Questions: Death, Dying And Organ Transplants - A Jewish Law Perspective, Stephen J. Werber

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Core values of the Jewish heritage are life and family, not death. An interpretation of Halachah which permits a broad definition of passive euthanasia without lapsing into acceptance of active euthanasia or its more evil cousin, assisted suicide, is consistent with these values. Also consistent with these values and the Jewish tradition is a modern definition of death which recognizes advances in medical technology that were beyond the knowledge or imagination of those who created the vast body of Rabbinic law. This approach will not only ease the suffering of families, it will allow organ transplants to save the lives …

Method In Jewish Bioethics: An Overview, Dena S. Davis

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This essay introduces the reader to the processes by which Jewish ethical-legal reasoning brings old insights to bear on new problems generated by advances in science and medicine. There are at least four reasons why Jewish legal thinking in this area is important to the wider community of Western legal scholars. First, because the law often strives to consider different religious beliefs, it is important to understand these beliefs, the history of these beliefs, and how they function within their religious community.

Second, Jewish legal thinking is important because representatives of religious traditions frequently serve on policy and law-making bodies. …