ABSTRACT
The commercial exploitation of the human body is nothing new. Indeed, prostitution is commonly described as ‘the oldest profession’. Since the 1980s, however, concerns have been voiced about the new ways in which biomedical technologies allow us to use the human body for profit. Some people argue that this ‘commercialisation’ or ‘commodification’ of the human body is wrong and should be banned. Others take a more permissive view, arguing (for example) that people have a moral right to sell parts of their bodies. Bodies for Sale is both an introduction to this debate, the ‘body commodification’ debate, and a critical assessment of the main arguments and concepts deployed within it.
