Women's Reproductive Labor By Daudora Satz Questions The Asymmetry Thesis

Abigail Turra

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In “Markets in Women’s Reproductive Labor,” Stanford professor and philosopher Debra Satz questions the morality of contract pregnancy through the lens of the Asymmetry Thesis. The Asymmetry thesis is the idea that reproductive labor should be considered differently than other types of labor in a capitalist economy. While Satz upholds this theory, and the idea that contract pregnancies are morally wrong, she finds that most reasons supporting the theory are invalid, and provides “better” support for the theory. In this essay, I will argue that contract pregnancy is not inherently morally incorrect and acknowledge some validity in the degradation hypothesis. Satz presents and refutes three common arguments about the

If this idea is true, a lot of other things, besides the contract pregnancy that is being singled out, should not be on the market. If we are not to sell things intimately tied to our identity, then many famous artists should not have sold their famous artworks that may have held value. Teachers should not teach if their love for children and caregiving nature are intimately tied to their identity. One could also argue that aspects of someone’s personality and demographic might be “intimately tied to their identity” — thus getting rid of comedians, influencers, and activists. This argument rests on the basis that reproductive labor is one of the few, if only, types of labor that is deeply personal which, given these examples, is clearly not the case. Oxford ethicist Mary Warnock, contributed to the Warnock Report, which supported the idea that reproductive labor shouldn’t be commodified because we shouldn’t sell things we respect. To Warnock, we shouldn’t sell things if selling them would be “inconsistent with human dignity.” Firstly, there is fault in the subjectivity of what is to be or

While others primarily center around the experience of the woman, I think that this argument is strengthened by its elements of compassion and concern for others. These values are widely accepted, and this argument is one of the few mentioned in Satz’s work that acknowledges how other groups besides women are impacted by contract pregnancy. I think the strength of this argument can also be measured by the weakness of Satz’s rebuttals of it. Satz’s rebuttals are essentially in two parts — 1) the idea that there is not enough empirical evidence surrounding aspects of the argument to form a solid conclusion and 2) the idea that injustice against children exists elsewhere in the world. Regardless of whether or not any empirical evidence does or does not say about the impact of contract pregnancy or children, the fact that there is no empirical evidence on the topic says enough. The lack of consideration around the children of contract pregnancies in the reproductive labor industry shows a big flaw in the industry itself. This critique of contract pregnancies as they are now is very valid. Additionally, the acknowledgement that other forms of injustice against children in the world exist outside of the impact of contract pregnancies on children is flawed. Satz tends to dismiss the issue instead of acknowledging that double standards exist in this