Carleton philosophy lectures questions the limits of a parent’s responsibilities for caring for their children

Scripps College professor of philosophy Rivka Weinberg will present, “The Endless Umbilical Cord: Parental Obligations to Grown Children,” on Tuesday, October 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Laurence McKinley Gould Library Athenaeum at Carleton College. This event is free and open to the public.

A renowned philosopher and bioethicist, Weinberg specializes in ethical and metaphysical issues regarding birth and death. In her Carleton talk, Weinberg will discuss the nature of parental obligations to their children: “One might think that parental obligation to children ends with the end of childhood,” she says, “[however] if we consider why parents are obligated to their children, we will see that this view is false.” Weinberg, considering various conflicting perspectives, will argue that parental obligation to their children lasts a lifetime.

Weinberg received her B.A. from Brooklyn College and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her areas of expertise include: ethics (particularly procreative ethics), bioethics, theories of moral obligation, and the metaphysics of birth and death. She has authored numerous publications for academic journals, as well as a book entitled, “The Risk of a Lifetime: How, When, and Why Procreation May Be Permissible” (Oxford University Press, 2015).

This event is sponsored by the Carleton College Department of Philosophy. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4219. The Laurence McKinley Gould Library is located off College Street on the Carleton campus and is also accessible via Highway 19 in Northfield.