Biological clocks, biographical schedules and generational cycles: temporality in the ethics of assisted reproduction

In this paper we aim to contribute to a more articulate, reflective and systematic understanding of the ethical significance of time and human temporality in the context of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). We first highlight the central role of time and temporality in the practices and regulatory frameworks of reproduction and ART. We then outline different levels of moral relevance of time and temporality in this context and examine their social origin and normative dimension, focusing on conceptions of reproductive, biographical and generational time. We draw conclusions for the debate on ART as well as for the conceptual framework of bioethical reasoning in general.