This thesis aims to determine whether international gestational surrogacy contracts are exploitative, and whether they should be prohibited. I chose a group of women working as surrogates at Kaival Maternity Home and Surgical Hospital, in Anand, Gujarat, India as a study group. After examining their life circumstances, I argue that these women live in unjust circumstances caused by institutional sexism and poverty. I critically assess arguments launched against surrogacy, organ trade, and prostitution and find that none of these are sufficient for demonstrating that contracts involving the sale of the body are necessarily exploitative. I find that surrogacy is exploitative because of a complex set of social conditions. Further, the contracts are beneficial to both the woman acting as surrogate and to the couple hiring her. I conclude that international gestational surrogacy is exploitative yet mutually beneficial, and prohibiting surrogacy would be harmful unless accompanied by drastic social change. / Cette thèse vise à savoir si les contrats internationaux de maternité de substitution sont une forme d'exploitation et s'ils devraient être interdits. La population étudiée est un groupe de femmes travaillant comme mères de substitution au Kaival Maternity Home and Surgical Hospital à Anand (Gujarat) en Inde. Après examen de leurs conditions de vie, je soutiens que ces femmes vivent dans des conditions injustes causées à la fois par la pauvreté et par une forme de sexisme institutionnalisé. Puis, j'ai étudié et évalué les arguments critiquant cette pratique ainsi que ceux relatifs au commerce d'organes et à la prostitution. J'en ai conclu qu'aucun d'entre eux n'est cependant suffisant pour démontrer que des contrats impliquant la mise en vente du corps sont nécessairement et par essence des outils d'exploitation. La maternité de substitution est une forme d'exploitation parce qu'elle met en jeu un ensemble complexe de conditions sociales inégalitaires. Cependant, ce type de contrat profite à la fois à la mère de substitution et au couple qui l'emploie. Les contrats internationaux de maternité de substitution sont une forme d'exploitation mais ils apportent un bénéfice mutuel. Dès lors, interdire la maternité de substitution serait préjudiciable à moins qu'une telle mesure ne soit accompagnée d'un changement social drastique.

Any ethical argument involving the problems of access to assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) should entail the discussion of the decision protocol and consider the individual deliberating on the appropriateness of these remedies from the point of view of self and community. Yet, arguments based on patients' own moral calculations are rare in the bioethics literature. The moral voice behind most discourses concerning ARTs is that of an outwardly independent spectator, who nonetheless proceeds to justify a personally significant worldview in the utilization of these resources. Investigators grounded in social and legal sciences have offered relevant arguments in this regard, but because their discourses are derived from research protocols specific to their respective disciplines, they fail to provide a general rationale applicable to moral deliberation. / Fortunately, it is possible to bring two seemingly incongruous discourses, one from ethics and the other from economics, under the rubric of a more general model of utilization of ARTs. Specifically, the basic principles of a certain economic perspective, political economy, appear largely reconcilable with those of a particular ethical perspective, ethic of care. This ethical perspective is based on the premise that healthcare givers, simultaneously cognizant of the larger decisional environment as well as the contingencies specific to the immediate client-agent interaction, are sympathetic and responsive to their patients' unique needs. This moral precept finds a direct reflection in a contemporary strand of political economy represented by Richard Posner, Amitai Etzioni, Harold Hochman, and Amartya Sen. / The objective of this work is to blend the political economic perspective with that of an ethic of care by means of a patient-oriented model of demand for ARTS. The political economic paradigm of subjective valuation, substantially enhanced with the key elements provided by ethic of care, will offer an operational framework within which the preferences of seekers of ARTS can be analyzed in more satisfactory terms. The integration of the two perspectives requires the surmounting of a series of methodological hurdles, but the effort will be worthwhile. For, the model of choice will be conducive to an equilibrium that is not only efficient, but also equitable.

This dissertation explores ideas about human agency and conduct as these are expressed in the Indian epic known as the Mahabharata (the "Great Bharata"). Two concepts in particular retain our attention: daiva, the power that comes from the gods, and purusakara, the power that comes from human beings (purusas). One current of thought holds that human life and the course of history are governed exclusively by external agencies ("the gods" or chance). On the other hand, the epic also carries the commanding message that the lives of individuals and societies may be changed for the better through human initiative (purusakara) in accordance with the dharma, the moral order sanctioned by religious tradition. The issue is finally reduced to the question: who is the real agent of action? / The analysis concludes that the question can only be resolved in the context of epic ideas about the nature of the human being. But humanity is simply a stage in the spiritual evolution of all life towards the realization of the unity of existence as the manifestation of a Supreme Person (paramapurusa; purusottama) or a Supreme Self (paramatman). Souls (atmans) are embodied as human beings at the stage when consciousness develops into the self-consciousness of an ego (ahamkara), which arrogates to itself the notion of self-determination or "freedom." In reality, however, the soul is not free but trapped in a cycle of rebirth, which can be broken only by the abandonment of all notion of agency, action and control over the fruits of the action. The epic therefore operates at two levels. In terms of the mundane tasks and responsibilities of daily life, particularly the responsibilities of the king, the human being is regarded as enjoying a modicum of freedom and self-determination to chart the course of his or her future evolution. From the higher perspective of the unity of all life, however, this self-concept is inherently flawed. The actions of such a being spring from unconscious motives prompted by the higher purposes that govern the course of the cosmos as a whole.

The Concept of Purpose in Kant's Philosophy is an attempt to feature a phase of Kant's philosophical thought that has received relatively scant attention. Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and Critique of Practical Reason have focused attention to his epistemology and ethics while unfortunately obscuring other interesting and informative aspects of his philosophical thought.

Karl R. Popper, Professor of Logic and Scientific Method in the University of London, is primarily a physicist and a philosopher of science. In this capacity, he is interested in: the criterion demarcating science from pseudo-science, the method of science, and especially the method of social sciences. He thinks the method employed there is the cause of the trouble, since it is based on a misunderstanding of the method used in the physical sciences.

Jules-Henri Poincare (1854-1912) is universally acknowledged to have been one of the greatest scientific minds of the nineteenth century. The development of his genius from childhood precociousness was unusually smooth. By the end of his life he had been accorded virtually every international honour in the field of science.

Throughout the history of the philosophy of language, roughly two traditions can be discerned. There are, on the one hand, those who look upon language as something static, something established once and for all by convention. On the other band are those who view language as something of an organic, or functional nature. To the latter category belong those philosophers who believe that the true meaning of a word or sentence is never, and can never be, instantly apparent from the word or sentence itself.

Recent studies in psychosocial oncology that seek to address the social, psychological, emotional, spiritual, quality of life, and functional impacts of cancer, report positive findings for meaning-making interventions designed to help cancer patients cope with their illness experience. These interventions are successful in decreasing depression among cancer patients and increasing life satisfaction, self-esteem, coping, physical functioning, and optimism. Yet, despite these positive findings meaning-making interventions and, more generally psychosocial care, are not well integrated into hospital or healthcare organization routine cancer patient care.This thesis explores practical, theoretical, and bioethical barriers to integrating psychosocial care, focusing primarily on the latter considerations. I will argue that meaning-making interventions fall within the bounds of healthcare professionals’ capacities and duty to care, more to the point, as necessary for quality cancer patient care. The bioethical principle of respect for autonomy, when reconsidered from a feminist standpoint, morally requires the intervention’s inclusion in routine care. / Les études récentes dans l'oncologie psychosocial qui cherche à adresser les effets sociaux, psychologiques, émotives, spirituelles, qualité de vie, et sur les impacts fonctionnels du cancer ont demontré des résultats positifs pour les interventions créant une signication conçu pour aider ceux qui ont le cancer à faire face à leur maladie. Parmi les malades, ces interventions réussissent à reduire la dépression, et à augmenter la satisfaction de vie, l'amour-propre, l’abilité de se débrouiller avec la maladie, le fonctionment physique, et l'optimisme. Pourtant, malgré ces conclusions positives, les interventions faisant la signification et, plus généralement, le soin psychosocial, n'est pas intégré dans l'hôpital ni dans la politique d'organisation des services médicaux pour le soin standard des patients souffrant du cancer.Cette thèse explore les obstacles pratiques, théoriques, et bioéthiques à l’intégration des soins psychosociaux dans la politique, concentrant principalement sur les considérations dernières. Je disputerai que l’intervention se trouve parmi les capacitées et les obligations à soigner des professionaux de services médicaux et, de plus important, sont nécéssaires au soin de bonne qualité des patients de cancer. Le principe bioéthique de respect pour l'autonomie, lorsque reconsidéré d'un point de vue de féminisme, exige moralement l'inclusion de l'intervention dans la politique des professionaux de services médicaux.

This dissertation examines what the author calls the Canadian social criticism component of the work of philosopher Charles Taylor. An internationally renowned scholar, Taylor's work has been much commented on. Yet there is an imbalance of attention in the reception of his work between the ample commentary pertaining to his more abstract philosophical thought, on the one hand, and the paucity of commentary concerning those aspects of his writing that carry more immediate practical relevance, i.e. his work in social criticism. After introducing a basic framework for 'interpretive social criticism', the dissertation proceeds to situate different aspects of Taylor's criticism within contemporary debates, including the topic areas of democratic decline, consumerism, national unity and egalitarian politics. At one level, each of the different chapters engages with and elaborates on a facet of Canada's common public culture. Yet the central objective in bringing them together in a single program of research is to contribute to our understanding of how this still incomplete culture and political identity can best be achieved. The guiding assumption behind the research is that this would require being faithful at once to the country's social democratic tradition and to its unique potential in reconciling ethnocultural, regional and linguistic diversity. The work of Charles Taylor, as interpreted in the following chapters, helps to demonstrate what this means in the context of specific issues and debates. / Ce mémoire examine ce que l'auteur dénomme la composante « critique sociale canadienne » de l'oeuvre du philosophe Charles Taylor. Érudit à la renommée internationale, les travaux de Taylor ont maintes fois été commentés. Cependant, l'attention portée à son oeuvre présente un déséquilibre entre les nombreux commentaires relatifs à ses pensées philosophiques plus abstraites, d'une part, et ceux, rares, concernant les aspects de ses écrits porteurs d'un intérêt pratique plus immédiat, c'est-à-dire ses travaux relevant de la critique sociale. Après avoir introduit un cadre de base à la « critique sociale interprétative », cette thèse s'attache ensuite à situer les différents aspects de la critique de Taylor dans le contexte de certains débats contemporains sur des sujets tels que le déclin démocratique, le consumérisme, l'unité nationale ou les politiques égalitaristes. Tout d'abord, chacun des différents chapitres se penche sur un aspect de la culture public commune canadienne et l'analyse. Cependant, l'objectif central recherché par l'intégration de ces chapitres dans un même programme de recherche est de nous permettre d'identifier la manière selon laquelle notre identité politique et culturelle encore incomplète pourrait le mieux être atteinte. Le présupposé directeur de cette recherche est que cela requerrait d'avoir foi tant dans la tradition sociale démocrate de notre pays que dans son potentiel unique de concilier sa diversité ethnoculturelle, régionale et linguistique. Les travaux de Charles Taylor, tels qu'interprétés dans les chapitres qui suivent, nous aident à démontrer ce que cela signifie dans le contexte de questions et débats spécifiques.

DNA patents have been being granted since the 1970s. Patents are meant to act as incentives, encouraging innovation and dissemination in biotechnology by granting inventors exclusive economic control of their inventions for a set period of time. Governments in North America and Europe have therefore been using patents as a public policy tool to encourage the invention of health-related biotechnologies since the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. However despite this laudable policy goal, there have also in recent decades been a number of controversies related to patenting in biotechnology. Commentators are concerned that patents may in fact be having a detrimental effect on innovation of and access to health-related products and processes. While empirical evidence that has been collected to date in relation to these concerns remains inconclusive, the debate may be clarified through the articulation of the rights and responsibilities that are at stake. The scope and content of a human right to healthcare are ultimately society-dependent, but its articulation can clarify whether instrumental property rights granted to inventors are interfering with this right in an unacceptable way. Intellectual property rights in health-related biotechnologies cannot be justified from a theoretical perspective, and so more definitive empirical data elucidating the role that patents play in regards to innovation and dissemination of health-related biotechnology is needed. / Les brevets ayant trait aux biotechnologies sont octroyés depuis les années 1970. Les brevets servent d'incitatif, encourageant l'innovation et la distribution de biotechnologies en donnant aux inventeurs un control économique exclusif sur leurs inventions pour une période de temps donné. Les gouvernements d'Amérique du Nord et d'Europe ont donc utilisé les brevets en tant que politique publique pour encourager la recherche en biotechnologie, respectivement depuis les années 1980 et 1990. Cependant, malgré un objectif louable, il y a depuis quelques décénies plusieurs controverses par rapport aux brevets en biotechnologie. En effet, on distingue dans la littérature un septisisme de la part des auteurs, à savoir que les brevets pourraient freiner la recherche et restreindre l'accèes aux nouvelles biotechnologies. Alors que les données empiriques collectées jusqu'ici à ce sujet ne permettent que peu de conclusions, le débat pourrait être éclairé en prenant en compte les droits et responsabilités qui sont eu jeu. Les droits de propriété intellectuelle en biotechnologies ne peuvent pas être justifiés d'un point de vu théorique, et donc des études empiriques supplémentaires et définitives sont nécessaires pour cerner le rôle des brevets en ce qui concerne l'innovation et la distribution de biotechnologies.