Astrid Hartman, ENGL 100: Exploring Body Ownership and Ethics

This essay explores the complex question of body ownership, analyzing ethical considerations, societal norms, and individual rights, drawing on Cécile Fabre's book "Whose Body is it Anyway?" The essay examines the conflict between individual autonomy and societal constraints, particularly concerning the use of one's body for income generation and the ethics that govern such actions. It delves into the biases inherent in traditional ethical frameworks, and it emphasizes the importance of equality and the individual's right to make decisions about their own body, challenging the societal norms that often dictate these choices. The essay highlights the author's perspective on the body as a materialistic substance, advocating for a redefinition of ethics that excludes bias and promotes equality within the society. The analysis further extends to the importance of individual rights and the need to revise the law and order of nations through her theoretical presentation of the applicability of the ethics and the morality of the egalitarian approach.

Saikia 1
Nripangana Saikia
Astrid Hartman
ENGL 100
22 November 2017
QUESTION OF OWNERSHIP
The growing world has brought about changes in the mindsets of the people. In order to
cope up with the changing mindsets, some sets of norms are enforced on the social culture in
order to constrain actions that might seem to be unethical. The question is based on the authority
of the individuals over their own actions and the body they own.
The discussion is based on the points of the question that is being provided based on the
authority of the person in order to make use of the ethics. The most important point undertaken
by the society is based on the ethics that are being followed. The main consideration undertaken
by the people is based on their individual requirements of the application of the ethics based on
their varied mindset (Maselli, Antonella, and Mel Slater). The most important part of this
consideration brings in biasness in the forms. The discussion aims at understanding the
differences between the ethics that are being enforced on the social culture of the individuals.
The book “Whose body is it anyway?” helps in the understanding of the ownership of the
personal assets and the contradictions that are being stated by the society.
The aim of the discussion is to undertake steps in order to entrust the question of
authority of the individuals and the lack in taking decisions. The most important part of the
discussion holds the view of the question of the authority that is portrayed through the book that
is being referred to in this section.

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The book that is being referred in this context evaluates the importance of the question of
the authority of a person over the body. It helps in the understanding of the biasness of the ethics
that the society enforces on the individuals (Weeks, Jeffrey). The integral part of the discussion
holds the view of the author relating to the use of the body in order to make income out of it. The
ethics that are being subjected to the system in the society is based on the eccentric views of the
community. It results to biasness that affected the society since the traditional times. The
provocative content of the book encourages the thoughts of self-contemplation and the esteem of
the individuals and the effect of the changes in the social structure. Cécile Fabre, the writer of the
book, has helped in the understanding of the authority of the person over the body. It portrays
that the body is for sharing and thereby it depends on the likeness of the person who is desiring
to share the body with others (Bauman, Zygmunt). Though the writer of the book is not a radical
egalitarian, she is into the consideration of undertaking changes that might help in equalizing the
society. The basic concept undertaken by the author is on the Prostitution and the paternalism
that are prevalent in the society. The biasness that has been dominating the society from a very
long time has also affected the well-being of the people in the society (Pauer-Studer, Herlinde).
The well-being of the people is based on the equality approach to which the author adheres and
chooses as the main theme of her book.
The writer of the book asserts the question of the authority over the body of the
individuals contradicting the social norms that supports the pervasive conceptions of the people
in the society. the most important factor that affects the people is based on the inequality of the
norms which are based on the conditions of the community’s benefits. The benefits that are being
designed by the community exclude the people undertaking the so-called sinful attempts in order
to portray the cleanliness of the culture (Fabre, Cécile). The purpose of these attempts is being

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22 November 2017
portrayed as the minimal basics of the factors that determine the ethics that are supposed to
govern the society.
The author is not rejecting the theory of integrity of the body while she asserts the
equality in the society. Moreover, she does not treat the body as just an entity of making love,
while considering the body as just a materialistic substance that can be shared by the individual
based on the likeness. She asserted the fact of the equality of the organization which does not
mean to be raped and thereby losing the integrity. The question of the authority over the body of
the individual is based on the perceptions that are being reflected upon by the same individual.
The most important consideration undertaken by the author in determining the ethics that
governs the society is based on the availability of the ethics (Maselli, Antonella, and Mel Slater).
The prevalent ethics that are being undertaken by the society determines the biasness that is
being undertaken. The question of leading a decent life cannot be simply based on the norms that
govern the society. The simple and decent life that is being asserted by the society might be
appealing for the people but the existence of the people who make their income by sharing their
body with others must be acknowledged. According to the author, the demand for the share that
is being undertaken by the people is determined by their own static requirements that seemed to
grow. Upholding the integrity of the body is based on the norms that the society enforces on the
individuals.
Fabre’s use of the techniques in this sophisticated discussion helps in determining the
understanding of the question of the authority over the body of the individuals. It is the sole
decision of the individuals as to what is to be done with the respective bodies (Maselli,
Antonella, and Mel Slater). The conceptualized norms and the ethics that governs the society
should not be able to interfere with the rights and decisions that the individual might take relating

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to the body. The rights of the individuals over the body do not provide the people with an
advantage of spoiling the environment of the society. Therefore, the individuals can take their
own decision based on the usage of the body in order to make their income. The most intriguing
concept undertaken by Fabre in this book is based on the determination of the body and
identifying it as a materialistic substance that might help the individuals in making their income
(Florini, Ann M.). The usage of the parts of the body is based on the materialistic concept that
can be implemented to any kind of job in order to excel and thereby the society cannot ethically
accuse the individual for enacting in that manner.
The question of ownership is not based on the ethics that governs the society and the
culture, and is based on the mindset of the people who must revise their outlook accordingly. It is
a satire where the author is clearly questioning the people who are biased by the ethics as to the
ownership of the body of the individuals (Popper, Karl, and Karl Sir Popper). It helps in
determining the views that supports the cause of the ownership that is being undertaken by the
people in the society. The social norms helps in maintaining a clean and good society but
biasness in the ethical systems brings in unbalanced situations. The typical mentality of the
people in the society contradicted with the visions that are being shared by the author through the
book. It has an egalitarian approach based on the approaches of equality and fraternity among the
community (Svensson, Måns). The title that is being used for the context is equally intriguing as
it gives a clear idea of the concepts that will be used in the context. It helps in determining the
theme of the context. It may also be asserted that the title is in response to Dworkin’s “Why stop
at the body?”. It helps in understanding the concepts used by the author in order to understand
the changes that the society must undertake based on the ownership of the body.

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Therefore, from the above analysis it can be stated that the effectiveness of the question
to administer the ownership of the individual over the body is being discussed in this context.
The individual’s capability of taking the decision of the body is not determined by the norms of
the society. the author does not only portrays a high psychological knowledge in this regards but
also helps in determining the revisions of the law and order of the nations through her theoretical
presentation of the applicability of the ethics and the morality of the egalitarian approach.
Moreover, Fabre emphasized on the psychology of the people and thereby determines their
ownership over their own bodies. It helps in redefining the ethics excluding the biasness that
might be the cause of inequality in the society.

Saikia 1
Work cited
Bauman, Zygmunt. The individualized society. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
Fabre, Cécile. Whose Body is it Anyway?: Justice and the Integrity of the Person. Oxford
University Press on Demand, 2006.
Florini, Ann M., ed. The third force: The rise of transnational civil society. Brookings Institution
Press, 2012.
Maselli, Antonella, and Mel Slater. "The building blocks of the full body ownership
illusion." Frontiers in human neuroscience7 (2013).
Pauer-Studer, Herlinde, ed. Norms, values, and society. Vol. 2. Springer Science & Business
Media, 2013.
Popper, Karl, and Karl Sir Popper. The open society and its enemies. Routledge, 2012.
Svensson, Måns. "Norms in law and society: towards a definition of the socio-legal concept of
norms." Browser Download This Paper (2013).
Weeks, Jeffrey. Sex, politics and society: The regulations of sexuality since 1800. Routledge,
2014.