Episode Details

Todd examines the case of gestational surrogate McKenna West, who refused an abortion after the unborn child was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. He considers the conflict among contractual obligations, bodily autonomy, parental authority, medical care, and the right to life, arguing that the child's birth exposes the moral stakes hidden by abstract abortion arguments. Todd then contrasts free-market capitalism with socialism, focusing on ownership, consent, coercion, and whether a political majority can justly claim the product of another person's labor.