The Foetal Condition A Sociology of Engendering and Abortion

'An utterly original treatment of an interminably discussed issue. Combining anthropological reflection with interviews, social theorizing with hospital reports, Boltanski produces an account that recasts the question of abortion, even as it cannot fail to annoy all sides in the current debate.'
Nancy Fraser, The New School for Social Research 'The Foetal Condition is not a political intervention, it does not rehash for us the endless arguments for or against abortion. Rather, it is about a far more startling topic: the connection between abortion and the process of engendering, becoming a member of the human species, at once generic and particular. Using a large range of anthropological evidence, Boltanski shows that societies have always practiced abortion, and that the silences, prohibitions or tacit acceptation of abortion touch on the troubling question of how societies define a "human being". This highly original book cannot fail to become a classic among anthropologists, sociologists, philosophers, and ethicists.'
Eva Illouz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem