Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Experimenting with embryos: can philosophy help?

David Heyd

    Bioethics
    |October 1, 1996
    PubMed
    Summary

    Embryo experimentation presents unique ethical challenges, including logical circularity, metaphysical questions about personhood and benefit, and moral concerns about patient groups. The fourteen-day limit offers a practical, though philosophically debated, policy compromise.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Is there anything unique in the ethics of synthetic biology?

    Perspectives in biology and medicine·2013
    Same author

    Male or female, we will create them: the ethics of sex selection for non-medical reasons.

    Ethical perspectives·2005
    Same author

    Human nature: an oxymoron?

    The Journal of medicine and philosophy·2003
    Same author

    Human Genome Research and the Challenge of Contingent Future Persons: Toward an Impersonal Theocentric Approach to Value, by Jan Christian Heller.

    Bioethics·2001
    Same author

    Artificial reproductive technologies: the Israeli scene.

    Bioethics·1993

    Area of Science:

    • Bioethics
    • Developmental Biology
    • Philosophy of Medicine

    Background:

    • Medical experimentation on human subjects involves established ethical considerations.
    • Embryo experimentation introduces distinct and complex ethical dilemmas beyond those of human subject research.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To explore the unique philosophical problems associated with human embryo experimentation.
    • To analyze the logical, metaphysical, and moral dimensions of embryo research ethics.
    • To discuss the implications of philosophical arguments for policy-making in embryo experimentation.

    Main Methods:

    • Philosophical analysis of ethical arguments concerning embryo experimentation.
    • Examination of the status of embryos and the concept of benefit in research.
    Keywords:
    Analytical ApproachBiomedical and Behavioral ResearchGenetics and ReproductionPhilosophical Approach

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Discussion of the applicability of standard medical experiment constraints to embryo research.

    • Main Results:

    • Identified a logical problem of circularity: embryo morality depends on status, which experimentation helps define.
    • Highlighted a metaphysical problem: questioning if early embryos are 'subjects' and if 'coming into being' is a 'benefit'.
    • Addressed a moral problem: embryo research benefits may not align with the standard requirement of benefiting the subject or a similar patient group.

    Conclusions:

    • Philosophical arguments have limitations in shaping practical policies for embryo experimentation.
    • The fourteen-day limit for embryo research is a widely accepted practical compromise, despite philosophical justification challenges.