254 BOOK REVIEWS

Man.” One can accept not knowing or under- The essays are organized into four sections: standing everything, yet or even ever, without 1) religious-ethical; 2) anthropological, psy- having to adopt a system of instant answers, chological, and medical; 3) legal; and 4) and without becoming suicidal or ready for the philosophical-ideological. Part I contains es- asylum. says by theologians and ethicists, with two ar- Nowhere in Whatever Happened to the guing that is permissible in certain Race is the possibility discussed of an instances and two arguing that infanticide is empiric adoption by mankind of a “golden rule” and is therefore never acceptable. Part as the basic premise of an ethical system. Such I1 comprises five chapters written by an an- a possibility is implicitly denied, since even thropologist, a psychiatrist, a neurosurgeon- ordinary biological evolution of man is rejected, philosopher, a pediatrician, and a surgeon. let alone evolution of behavior and personality. They discuss infanticide in different cultures, As is pointed out in the book, Whatever Hap- killing and allowing to die (active and passive pened to the Human Race is based on a “magni- ), and who should decide the care of ficent five-episode color motion picture.” defective . An unrelated chapter discus- Spaced throughout the text are illustrations ses death from . from the movie; some of them of dubious taste Part I11 presents various viewpoints, written (1,000 plastic dolls strewn on the beach) and by lawyers and a professor of religion, on laws pertinence (Shaeffer atop Mt. Sinai). The book relating to infanticide or euthanasia for the becomes a slick and staged presentation by two severely defective child. Part IV contains five undoubtedly sincere, highly motivated Chris- chapters by philosophers and a person with tians, who are alarmed by current practices myelodysplasia, who discuss the meaning of concerning and euthanasia. the phrase “value of life.” The book is not recommended generally. For This well-written book cannot just be read those who want more temperate discussions and put aside; rather it prods us to reflect on the from a variety of viewpoints, Marvin Kohl’s value of life and the conditions, if any, for infan- Infanticide and the Value of Life is more suited ticide (or euthanasia, which sounds better and to their needs. Whatever Happened to the is somehow easier to accept).Today, few profes- Human Race might be of some interest to those sionals could accept infanticide as it was prac- who want a fairly detailed exposition of a rigid ticed in some past cultures. But should some “Christian” position on the issues. For those severely abnormal children be killed or allowed who have the inclination and energy to be con- to die? Which ones? Who decides? How does tentious about an exposition of philosophy, the death come to occur? The who, how, when, and book is highly recommended. where of infanticide are valid points of discus- sion in some cases. However, the discussion MASON BARR,JR. should never be carried on with a preconceived Department of Pediatrics answer: We must be careful not to force our University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 personal values onto families. Normality is everyone’s dream, but it cannot be over- emphasized that many physically and mentally INFANTICIDEAND THE VALUEOF LIFE,Marvin handicapped children can and do lead lives that Kohl, ed., Prometheus Books, Buffalo, N.Y., are enriching to themselves, their families, and 1978, 253 pp. $15.95 friends. Edited by Marvin Kohl, a philosophy profes- Znfanticide and the Value of Life provides no sor at SUNY/Fredonia, Infanticide and the easy answers, but it is highly recommended as Value of Life is a collection of essays whose a readable, affordable, and well-balanced primary purpose is “to understand what condi- presentation of a variety of viewpoints on the tions, if any, warrant allowing or inducing the issues. death of a seriously defective .” The au- thors, from the fields of medicine, law, religion, and philosophy, present contrasting viewpoints and various styles of writing. They have pro- VIRGINIA S. NELSON duced a thoroughly readable book with a good Institute for the Study of Mental Retardation and Related Disabilities bibliography and mechanics (table of contents, University of Michigan index, footnoting, etc.). Ann Arbor, Michigan 481 09