[Experimentation on human embryos in the light of the personalistic principle].
One does not see a possibility for moral justification of the cloning of humans, or of any other experiments and manipulation of human embryos other than on the grounds of materialistic anthropology which reduces human spirituality to the dimensions dealt with by natural sciences. If, however, man is a person, and if "to be a person" constitutes an ontological situation and is not the result of some kind of social contract, and if the human embryo is, at least potentially a person, then the Kantian personalistic norm will demand a ban on the cloning of humans and on experimenting on human embryos, and will also exclude any attitude of ownership towards each human being. This demand seems all the more clear if we look at the personalistic norm from the point of view of what is most wonderful in being a person namely, that the person is capable of receiving, learning and giving love. The deficiency of love received at the beginning of somebody's life - even if he or she was conceived out of love - may be a cause of this person becoming closed to higher values. Thus, the idea of cloning human beings means to structurally remove love from the beginning of human life and to introduce technology instead. One cannot really do more harm to another person than by depriving him or her of love at the very beginning of his or her life. I think that the well known stories about Golem or Frankenstein express a presentation of just this truth - and that is why they are so terrifying.
Salij
J
J
Ul. Freta 10, 00-227 Warszawa, Poland.
D001675:Bioethics; D019976:Cloning, Organism; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D028681:Moral Obligations; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D028723:Personhood; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D012070:Religion and Science; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics; D026712:Value of Life