Pennings G
Centre for Bioethics, Free University Brussels, Belgium.
Med Law. 1995;14(7-8):531-41.
Parenthood is conceptualized as a commitment. Responsible parents are reasonably certain that they will be able to meet their parental obligations and responsibilities. Two factors which may cause the failure to meet the commitment are discussed: (1) lack of time and (2) insufficient personal resources and capacities. Since these capacities are no longer present in most people in their seventies, the age limit for parenthood is placed around 50. The use of the average competent life span as a reference for decisions about the cut-off age limit is closely connected to an opinion about what constitutes a complete life. A complete life is a life in which (a) one's moral obligations and responsibilities have been discharged; and (b) one's life possibilities have on the whole been accomplished. Both conditions are fulfilled if procreation takes place before the age of 50.
为人父母被视为一种承诺。尽责的父母有理由确信自己能够履行父母的义务和责任。文中讨论了可能导致无法履行这一承诺的两个因素：（1）时间不足；（2）个人资源和能力不足。由于大多数70多岁的人已不再具备这些能力，因此为人父母的年龄限制设定在50岁左右。将平均健康寿命用作确定截止年龄的参考，这与对完整人生构成要素的看法密切相关。完整的人生是指（a）一个人的道德义务和责任已得到履行；以及（b）一个人的生活可能性总体上已得以实现。如果生育在50岁之前进行，这两个条件都能满足。
