From private choice to moral responsibility: education and disclosure as preconditions for relationships and procreation

Abstract

This thesis explores if intimate relationships and procreation should continue to be understood as purely private matters or if they generate broader moral responsibilities due to their foreseeable consequences for partners, children, and society. Societies treat relationship formation as a domain of unrestricted personal freedom, despite the significant emotional, psychological, and social harms that may arise from unprepared relationships and unstable family environments. Based on Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics and W.D. Ross’s Theory of Prima Facie Duties and by engaging with the works of Hugh LaFollette and Christopher Freiman, this thesis argues that relational and procreative decisions possess ethical importance because they affect vulnerable and dependent individuals especially future children. This thesis further develops a risk-based moral framework supported by empirical research concerning adverse childhood experiences, relational instability, and social outcomes. In response, it proposes a non-coercive model consisting of Procreative Readiness Education (PRE) and a system of mutual disclosure intended to promote informed and responsible decision making while preserving individual freedom. This thesis concludes by arguing that ethical preparation and transparency should be understood as important conditions for responsible relationships and parenthood.