The Identity and Moral Status of the Human Embryo
Uploaded by Rodianne on May 13, 2007
Previously to the scientific breakthrough, fertilization, that is the fusion of the male and female gametes, was always known to be carried out inside the human body. But nowadays, our findings prove otherwise. This technique is called InVitro Fertilization with Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET). This type of fertilization takes place inside a petri dish in a laboratory.
Ova are removed by means of surgical intervention and then are combined with sperm in a petri dish. This zygote then is transferred to the woman’s womb, yet unfortunately it is more likely not to be a success. Due to this, more than one ovum are taken and fertilized but only five or four get to be inserted inside the woman. The others are either disposed of or frozen for later use. But we ask, is this morally permissible to be done?
Various argue that, from the moment of fertilization, zygotes already contain unique genetic individuality. The information inside the cells, which distinguishes a person from another, control the development of the zygote, yet its growth also depends on the right environment to develop. Given this co-ordination, it will continue to grow without interruption and therefore this continuity helps the zygote in gradually developing to its full potential, that of being a full grown adult. With this one can conclude that the zygote is in fact a new person and therefore has the same rights as a person.
Empiricists in the tradition of John Locke say that to be a person one must possess self-conscious. Believing in such an idea one can understand that the new fertilized zygote does not own such a condition. Therefore, according to the Empiricists zygotes can be used for experimentation, or be frozen, as they are in stage of life where they are developing into a person with potential.
Others disagree on such ideas, and state that what a person is now is only the product of what gave yesterday. Therefore, killing someone today would be as if he was killed yesterday. Since zygotes are going through the development of becoming a person with potential one cannot kill a zygote, as it deprives it of its future value. It is a continuing process and no one is entitled to stop this process.
This potentiality argument is sometimes misleading and makes others present another argument which in actual fact does not have to do with the potentiality argument. They dispute that, if one should take...