Luc Boltanski is professor of sociology at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris. His many books in English include, The New Spirit of Capitalism, On Critique and Love and Justice as Competences.

'An utterly original treatment of an interminably discussed issue. Combining anthropological reflection with interviews, social theorizing with hospital reports, Boltanski produces an account that recasts the question of abortion, even as it cannot fail to annoy all sides in the current debate.'Nancy Fraser, The New School for Social Research 'The Foetal Condition is not a political intervention, it does not rehash for us the endless arguments for or against abortion. Rather, it is about a far more startling topic: the connection between abortion and the process of engendering, becoming a member of the human species, at once generic and particular. Using a large range of anthropological evidence, Boltanski shows that societies have always practiced abortion, and that the silences, prohibitions or tacit acceptation of abortion touch on the troubling question of how societies define a "human being". This highly original book cannot fail to become a classic among anthropologists, sociologists, philosophers, and ethicists.'Eva Illouz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Introduction 11 he Anthropological Dimensions of Abortion 112 The Two Constraints on Engendering 393 Understandings 60 4 The Parental Project 905 Constructing Foetal Categories 1256 The Justification of Abortion 1587 The Experience of Abortion 193Conclusion: Forgetting Abortion 233Notes 251Works Cited 299Index 317

Luc Boltanski is professor of sociology at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris. His many books in English include, The New Spirit of Capitalism, On Critique and Love and Justice as Competences.

'An utterly original treatment of an interminably discussed issue. Combining anthropological reflection with interviews, social theorizing with hospital reports, Boltanski produces an account that recasts the question of abortion, even as it cannot fail to annoy all sides in the current debate.'Nancy Fraser, The New School for Social Research 'The Foetal Condition is not a political intervention, it does not rehash for us the endless arguments for or against abortion. Rather, it is about a far more startling topic: the connection between abortion and the process of engendering, becoming a member of the human species, at once generic and particular. Using a large range of anthropological evidence, Boltanski shows that societies have always practiced abortion, and that the silences, prohibitions or tacit acceptation of abortion touch on the troubling question of how societies define a "human being". This highly original book cannot fail to become a classic among anthropologists, sociologists, philosophers, and ethicists.'Eva Illouz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Introduction 11 he Anthropological Dimensions of Abortion 112 The Two Constraints on Engendering 393 Understandings 60 4 The Parental Project 905 Constructing Foetal Categories 1256 The Justification of Abortion 1587 The Experience of Abortion 193Conclusion: Forgetting Abortion 233Notes 251Works Cited 299Index 317