Which statement best captures the natural law critique of surrogacy in reproductive technology?

• A. Surrogacy is immoral.
• B. Surrogacy is morally neutral.
• C. Surrogacy is always morally acceptable.
• D. Surrogacy is ethically permissible in all circumstances.

Answer: (A)

Natural law evaluates actions by how well they align with intrinsic human goods, especially the purposes of human sexuality and procreation within marriage. Reproduction is not just a technical result; it is tied to the unitive bond of spouses and the procreative end that naturally belongs to conjugal love. Surrogacy pulls procreation outside the conjugal act and introduces a third party into the process, which disrupts the natural ends of marriage and family. It also risks treating the womb and the woman’s body as a means to an end and can raise questions about the child’s origins and parental bonds, potentially exploiting the surrogate and complicating identity and loyalties for the child. Because these elements clash with natural law’s view of what makes actions morally right in matters of reproduction, it is regarded as immoral. It’s not simply a neutral or universally permissible option within this framework.