Julian Savulescu coined the phrase procreative beneficence. It is the controversial putative moral obligation of parents in a position to select their children, for instance through preimplantation genetic diagnosis, to favor those expected to have the best life. An argument in favour of this principle is that traits (such as empathy and memory) are “all-purpose means” in the sense of being instrumental in realising whatever life plans the child may come to have.

Julian Savulescu is a philosopher who researches the ethics of various new or emerging technologies, including new methods of reproduction and enhancement of physical and cognitive performance through drugs or genetic manipulation. He is director of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, and is or has been a co-director on many large research projects, looking at topics from geoengineering to vaccines. Savulescu is a recognised world leader in the field of practical ethics, has authored over 170 publications, and has given over 120 invited international presentations. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics.