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[Ethical viewpoints on cryopreservation of human embryos]
1Institut für Ethik und Sozialwissenschaften, Universität Wien.
Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)
|January 1, 1991
Summary
This study critiques embryo cryopreservation, arguing against it based on Christian natural law ethics. It highlights risks to human value and embryo status, aligning with Catholic teachings.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Moral Philosophy
Context:
- Societal pluralism fosters moral relativism and subjectivism.
- Empirical anthropological theories contribute to widespread moral uncertainty.
- There's a recognized need for objective, normative moral frameworks.
Purpose:
- To examine the ethical permissibility of embryo cryopreservation.
- To present arguments against cryopreservation based on Christian natural law.
- To analyze the ethical implications of medical progress and reproductive technologies.
Summary:
- The author argues that neither biology nor medicine can determine the value of human life.
- Arguments for cryopreservation (medical progress, parental desires, cost reduction) are countered by ethical objections.
- Concerns include manipulation of procreation, risks to embryo value, and potential for prolicide, leading to an objection to embryo cryopreservation.
Impact:
- This ethical analysis supports the stance of the Roman Catholic Church's "Donum vitae" (1987) against embryo cryopreservation.
- It underscores the ethical challenges posed by advanced reproductive technologies.
- The study prompts further consideration of physician's individual moral judgments in complex cases.