title: Potential and the early human.
abstract: Some form of potential or "capacity" is often seen as evidence of human moral status. Opinions differ as to whether the potential of the embryo should be regarded as such evidence. In this paper, I discuss some common arguments against regarding the embryo's potential as a sign of human status, together with some less common arguments in favour of regarding the embryo's potential in this way.
authors.affiliation: Linacre Centre for Health Care Ethics, London.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D033421:Beginning of Human Life; D001927:Brain Diseases; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D033042:Fetal Research; D005333:Fetus; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D040821:Human Characteristics; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019369:Life; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009014:Morals; D028723:Personhood; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors