Embryo research: the challenge for public policy.
Complete moral consensus on the status of the human embryo is neither feasible nor necessary for the formulation of ethically acceptable public policy for human embryo research. Significant consensus on permissible human embryo research can rest upon diverse but overlapping moral traditions. Thus, human embryo research policy should do more than reflect mere abstract assertions about the moral status of human embryos. Rather, the moral underpinnings of human embryo research should be derived from a range of values, including the facilitation of human procreation, the advancement of applied scientific knowledge, the reduction of human suffering, and the protection of vulnerable persons from coercion and exploitation.
King
P A
PA
Georgetown University Law School, Washington, D.C. 20001, USA.
D000028:Abortion, Induced; D026683:Advisory Committees; D033421:Beginning of Human Life; D026688:Bioethical Issues; D032921:Consensus; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D033041:Embryo Research; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D019369:Life; D028681:Moral Obligations; D028723:Personhood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011640:Public Policy; D035845:Research Embryo Creation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D026712:Value of Life