Responsibility and Responsibilisation: Epigenetics and Moral Obligations Towards Future Generations

This thesis investigates the ethical implications of advances in epigenetics. Epigenetics research is connecting a wide range of lifestyle factors during pregnancy to health outcomes in offspring and subsequent generations. I question whether these findings obligate pregnant people to protect the "epigenetic" health of their offspring and potentially future generations. I argue that these findings do not, in fact, obligate pregnant people to do so. However, the social uptake of epigenetics is likely to responsibilise women and contribute to forms of social injustice.