The Ambiguity of the Embryo: Ethical Inconsistency in the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate

Devolder, Katrien; Harris, John

doi:10.1111/j.1467-9973.2007.00480.x

Cited by 43 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…” concluded that 78% of all conceptions were lost before birth 26 . It has been widely cited by both scientists 4, 17, 19, 20, 35 and non-scientists 36, 37 alike. Conceptions among married women aged 20–29 in England and Wales in 1971 were estimated and compared to infants born in the same period.…”

Section: What the Data Saymentioning

confidence: 99%

Early embryo mortality in natural human reproduction: What the data say

Jarvis

2016

F1000Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is generally accepted that natural human embryo mortality during pregnancy is high – losses of 70% and higher from fertilisation to birth are frequently claimed. The first external sign of pregnancy occurs two weeks after fertilisation with a missed menstrual period. Establishing the fate of embryos before this is challenging, and hampered by a lack of data on the efficiency of fertilisation under natural conditions. Four distinct sources are cited to justify quantitative claims regarding embryo loss: (i) a hypothesis published by Roberts & Lowe in The Lancet is widely cited but has no quantitative value; (ii) life table analyses give consistent assessments of clinical pregnancy loss, but cannot illuminate losses at earlier stages of development; (iii) studies that measure human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) reveal losses in the second week of development and beyond, but not before; and (iv) the classic studies of Hertig and Rock offer the only direct insight into the fate of human embryos from fertilisation under natural conditions. Re-examination of Hertig’s data demonstrates that his estimates for fertilisation rate and early embryo loss are highly imprecise and casts doubt on the validity of his numerical analysis. A recent re-analysis of hCG study data suggests that approximately 40-60% of embryos may be lost between fertilisation and birth, although this will vary substantially between individual women. In conclusion, it is clear that some published estimates of natural embryo mortality are exaggerated. Although available data do not provide a precise estimate, natural human embryo mortality is lower than is often claimed.

show abstract

Section: What the Data Saymentioning

confidence: 99%

Early embryo mortality in natural human reproduction: What the data say

Jarvis

2016

F1000Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Symbolic value includes the impact it has on certain practices in our respect for human life [4] or expressions of societal views that regard embryos as the initial form of human life [5]. Devolder and Harris [7] stated that, the idea of potentiality is central in the ethics of using embryos for research and therapy. Potentiality is the feature that the human embryo possesses that other members of the species do not, namely to ultimately become a complex, intelligent, self-conscious, multifaceted creature typical of the human species, i.e., a "fully-developed" human being.…”

Section: Western Moral Philosophymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the problem with the potentiality argument is that it interprets human embryos as morally important beings in virtue of their potential or in having a protectable interest in actualising that potential. However, some examples provided by Devolder and Harris [7] illustrate how argument lacks some logic; one such example is that of an acorn and oak tree, in that an acorn is not an oak tree even though it has potential to be one. Similarly, the argument does not hold true that the mere fact that something has the potential to become something implies that we must treat it as if it has already achieved that potential.…”

Section: Western Moral Philosophymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critique on the Application of the Principle of Subsidiarity Concerning Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research in South Africa

Mnisi¹

2016

JPP

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:Researchers from all around the world emphasize on the enormous possible benefits that stem cells may have for the treatment of diseases. However, this technology is considered morally problematic when the source of the stem cell is from a human embryo. Nonetheless, there is a consensus that of all the types of stem cells, hESC (human embryonic stem cells) are the most promising for particular and important research and therapies. Yet, there are controversial issues regarding the "killing" of the human embryo for stem cell derivation. There are two general ethical conditions that should govern the instrumental use of embryo. One of them, the principle of subsidiarity, which is defined as "a state we have that we have to choose the less contentious means of achieving the intended goal". Based on this principle, we ought only to use hESC when there are no other alternatives, which are less morally controversially. Subsidiarity is based on the assumption that there is something ethically unsound about the use of hESC. However, this principle only makes sense if it is based on consistently upheld views of the moral status of embryo, moreover, the law should also not limit or prohibit hESC research based on this principle. In this paper, I argue-using the South African law for hESC technology-that criterion for deciding which type of stem cells to use should be based on their potential and suitability for advancing scientific knowledge and development of new therapies which will be greatly beneficial in alleviating human suffering.

show abstract

“…It is clear that different opinions about the embryo derive from disagreements in defining the exact moment (during the developmental process) when a cell becomes a new "individual". In this regard, there is an interesting flowering of papers (Devolder and Harris, 2005;Devolder, 2009;Testa et al, 2007), but certainly not an unambiguous idea. Since a new human being (composed of about one million billion cells (10 15 )) originates from a developmental process programmed in the first copy of the new individual's DNA, the zygote's genome, we would like to suggest the following proposal: we are facing a new individual only when a new functional genome is formed.…”

Section: The New Copy Of a Functional Genome And The Human Beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The biopolitics of frozen embryos

Monti¹,

Redi²

2011

Int. J. Dev. Biol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The unresolved debate about frozen embryos has left open the discussion on "what to do with them". There are only three ways to deal with frozen embryos: 1) to leave them frozen indefinitely; 2) to defrost and discard them and 3) to use them for research. In this paper, we suggest that the application of current scientific knowledge, instead of inappropriately referring to ethical principles or to the concept of person, could help with the decision about what to do with hundreds of thousands of frozen embryos, thus bringing the sensitive debate on bioethical issues to shared practical solutions. We face a new individual only when a new functional copy of his genome is formed. In both natural and artificial animal and plant reproduction, this principle applies. This status occurs in humans at the 4-8 cell stage. Acknowledgement of this factual datum would allow advocates of all religious and ideological beliefs to defend their principles and to realign their positions to a setting within the boundaries of current scientific knowledge.KEY WORDS: biopolitics, frozen embryo, functional genome, human being, scientific citizenship, stem cell Necessary preliminary remarks: political decision makers need a biological backgroundKnowledge brings cultural and medical benefits to society and is, therefore, now considered the engine for social and economic development of advanced countries. This concept is indisputable, since it has been consolidated over centuries of history, particularly in Europe. Through the ages, philosophical thought, artistic creation and scientific innovation allowed social development and cultural progress, which are unique to our species. After the century of chemistry (1800s) and physics (1900s) we entered the century of biology in which both culture and economics are based on the advancement of knowledge in the life sciences. The most recent progress in this field determines the wide impact of all forms of biotechnology in politics, human rights and, more in general, on aspects of daily life. The real political themes have at the present time, a bio-political nature being often concentrated on topics related to the beginning and the end of life, the environment and the production of food. All these bio-political topics inevitably prompt discussion about justice and between the parties which often have conflicting interests. Scientific information should be made available to everybody, allowing citizens to develop their own ideas and make prejudice-free decisions about topics important for their own life. The gained knowledge of the most recent progress in research must be considered as an integral part of our culture. This is a discipline that requires patience and time in order to grasp concepts that are Int. J. Dev. Biol. 55: 243-247 (2011) doi: 10.1387/ijdb.103281mm essential for a knowledgeable judgment of practical applications.Only humanistic culture can shed light on these processes, and therefore any good scientist should possess this kind of culture. On the other hand, any go...

show abstract

The Ambiguity of the Embryo: Ethical Inconsistency in the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate

Cited by 43 publications

References 38 publications

Early embryo mortality in natural human reproduction: What the data say

Early embryo mortality in natural human reproduction: What the data say

A Critique on the Application of the Principle of Subsidiarity Concerning Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research in South Africa

The biopolitics of frozen embryos

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About