The Loss of Deontology on the Road to Apathy: Examples of Homelessness and IVF Now, with Disaster to Follow

Mitrović, Veselin and Zack, Naomi (2018) The Loss of Deontology on the Road to Apathy: Examples of Homelessness and IVF Now, with Disaster to Follow. In: Disasters: Core Concepts and Ethical Theories. Advancing Global Bioethics. Advancing Global Bioethics (11). Springer, Cham, pp. 229-240. ISBN 978-3-319-92721-3 ; ISBN 978-3-319-92722-0 (Online)

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Abstract

Vulnerable groups, from contemporary homeless people to IVF embryos may fall between the cracks of otherwise good social values, such as government welfare programs and individual autonomy. These present and slow disasters are in principle no different from more immediate catastrophes resulting from natural events or wars that harm civilians. The failure to respond with indignation and demands for change constitutes apathy, which is also an absence of deontology. We begin with concrete examples of social apathy, in Part 1. Our examples are homelessness and IVF, neither of which are usually considered disasters but both of which are in fact ongoing disasters within normal society. Part 2. is a discussion of theoretical and practical deontology that is lacking in these examples.

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