Is castrating young boys ethical?

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

The last castrato singer died in 1913. It was a practice mostly during the rennasiance and baroque (but continued into the 19th century) to castrate young male singers before puberty to preserve their voice. Into adulthood they had a wide vocal range and could do things normal male and female singers couldn't do.

This practice was done a lot. It wasn't minor.

Put into historical perspective, they'd have a better chance of having their vocal career continue into adulthood.

Nowadays we don't have any castrato singers left and there's a large repretore of music that we can't authentically perform because of that. Would it be ethical to bring the practice back if it were voluntary? Or can children really make such decisions fairly?


Here's a recording of the last castrato:


Here's a synthesized approximation of a castrato:

[Something completely different]

Of course it`s unethical!

Is there even a question to this?
It doesnt matter "how good" the musical performace would be.
One would infringe the individuals right to selfdetermination and health.
Questions which a child at the age of 13 couldnt answere and certainly not be made for a child.

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

Haven't there been sex change operations though done to children? Why are they able to choose that but not this?

[Something completely different]

I dont know about that.

Really? Have there? I cant imagine that to be true.

[Annik]

Haven't there been sex change operations though done to children? Why are they able to choose that but not this?

If so, they are also unethical.

Children can't consent to such procedures.

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

I dont know about that.

Really? Have there? I cant imagine that to be true.

It was probably hormonal treatments now that I think about it. But that would still signicantly affect their physiology growing up I would think. No? So it'd be a pretty big decision.

---

Haven't there been sex change operations though done to children? Why are they able to choose that but not this?

If so, they are also unethical.

Children can't consent to such procedures.

What makes you say that? How do you determine at what age a person acquires the ability to consent? Is it different from person to person?

[Something completely different]

Jet that child wouldnt completly cut it`s sexdrive, like in this case.

[Annik]

There will always be variation between people, but children can't consent to just procedures because they can't cognitively understand what the consequences will be (as in not understanding the gravity of them). Here's Piaget's stages of cognitive development, which are well-worth looking over if you haven't heard it 10,000 times. Haha

[Dee Dee Ramone]

Castrating young boys ethical? Depends on their race. Fuhrer mode off///

[festive1]

As a parent, there's no way I'd let my sons be castrated, even if they had the most angelic of voices. Think of what they would be giving up at too early of an age to appreciate what they are losing, children of their own, a traditional intimate relationship... These are not things that a 12 or 14 year old should be thought capable of making permanent, life-altering decisions about. That being said both my boys were circumcised (by a mohel, nonetheless), which some would equate to castration, the anti-circumcision crowd can be quite militant.