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DOI 10.37749/2308-9636-2021-6(222)-5

Sokaliuk V. A. The Moral Status of the Human Embryo

Recognizing the importance of the state’s special protection of the prenatal stage of human development, most countries establish strict control over the research of the human embryo. One way to argue the limitations of embryo research is its moral status as a potential human being and representative of the human species. In the insufficient study of the moral status of the embryo, the article identifies approaches to its understanding and formulates its main features. The paper also examines the theoretical question that is at the heart of practical and professional ethics: by what criteria is the embryo attributed to have the moral status? The answer to this question reveals the importance of moral considerations regarding the proper handling of the embryos as well as the importance of the moral duty of others to treat an unborn child with respect. Some ways of understanding the principle of respect are examined separately.

The moral significance, value, and respect for the embryo are all prerequisites for establishing the limits of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour during the research on human embryos. This article highlights the problem of conflict of interests of the embryo as the one with moral status, with the interests of society to continue embryonic research due to the potential for usefulness for a huge number of people suffering from various diseases. Such conflict can be resolved through the establishment of ethical principles, which can be used to describe the limits of research on human embryos in the international and national guidelines for such research. Given the generality of such principles, it is also important to establish a national specialized committee on the ethics of research on human embryos.

Despite the results of the study, the article emphasizes the need for more detailed and deeper participation of representatives of legal, bioethical, embryological science, and the public in conversation.

Key words: moral significance, value, respect, moral obligations, legal status.

 

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