Babies for Sale: Market Ethics and the New Reproductive Technologies

This paper proposes the presence of a sacred/profane continuum along which marketing exchanges may be made. The functioning of this continuum is illustrated through the examination of novel reproductive markets, e.g. surrogate mothers, in vitro fertilization, that “mix” aspects of sacred and profane exchange, resulting in anxiety and confusion for market participants and society as a whole. Some ethical guidelines for governing such mixed markets are suggested.