Scott B. Rae

The practice of surrogate mothering, in which one woman is impregnated with another couple’s embryo and bears them a child, is nothing more than legalized baby selling and is therefore morally objectionable, according to Scott B. Rae in the following viewpoint. Rae contends that the fee paid to the surrogate mother is not for her gestational services, as advocates claim, but is a payment for her waiver of parental rights. Therefore, he argues, surrogate motherhood should be abolished. Rae is the author of several books on ethics, including The Ethics of Commercial Surrogate Motherhood: Brave New Families" from which this viewpoint is excerpted.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the author, why does a reduced fee for a miscarriage or stillborn birth by a surrogate mother indicate that the contract is for baby...