title: The ontological status of human DNA: is it not first and foremost a biological "file self"?
abstract: This paper investigates which of the various legal notions proposed for human DNA is the most appropriate from an ontological viewpoint - unique legal status, private property, common property, person, or information. The focus is on the difficulties that private property, common property and person present. By using Harré's notion of "file-self" we argue that, ontologically, the most appropriate legal notion to be applied is information. This has consequences for storage, control and use of genetic information as well as identifiable human body material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ethics Philosophy and History of Medicine, University Medical Centre, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. r.hoedemaekers@efg.kun.nl
authors.forename: Rogeer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoedemaekers
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dekkers
mesh_terms: D001675:Bioethics; D004247:DNA; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010067:Ownership / Q000941:ethics*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA