Moralni status človeških zigot in zgodnjih embrijev v luči polemik o raziskavah na EMCah = The moral status of human zygotes and early embryos in the light of discussions about embryonic stem cell researches - Klampfer, Friderik (2010)
Razvozlanje človeškega genoma in odkritje totipotentnosti EMC sta vzbudila novo upanje milijonom bolnikov po vsem svetu, hkrati pa dala nov zagon že malce upehani razpravi o moralnem statusu človeških zigot in zgodnjih embrijev. Samooklicane moralne avtoritete so pohitele z opozorili, da bi že s samo uporabo 'odvečnih', kaj šele z ustvarjanjem novih embrijev izključno v namene raziskav nedopustno okrnili njihovo človeško dostojanstvo, predstavniki oblasti pa so slednje nemudoma vzeli v bran in tovrstnim raziskavam nadeli (pre)tesen zakonodajni jopič. Moralna obsodba raziskav na EMCah pa sloni na vrsto po premisleku spornih, a le redko problematiziranih metafizičnih in etičnih podmen. V svojem prispevku se kritično obregnem ob tri take domneve: (a) da so zgodnji embriji dejanske ali vsaj potencialne človeške osebe, (b) da jim ta dragoceni potencial sam po sebi zagotavlja polnovreden moralni status ter (c) da jih zato ne bi smeli obravnavati izključno kot sredstvo za druge, še tako plemenite cilje in smotre. Kolikor lahko vidim, za uporabo (bodisi nadštevilnih ali pa v te namene ustvarjenih) embrijev kot vira EMC za raziskave ni nobenih moralnih ovir.
The solution to the riddle of the human genome, together with the discovery of the tot potentiality of stem cells, has not only raised the hopes of millions of patients around the world, it has also reanimated a somewhat deadlocked discussion on the moral status of human zygotes and early embryos. Self-declared moral authorities were quick to dismiss the prospects for new, stem cell-based therapies as a violation of the human dignity of (thereby destroyed) early embryos, while politicians took immediate steps to protect the latter by imposing (too) strict legal boundaries on both the creation and use of embryonic stem cells for research. Such blank moral condemnation of embryonic stem cell research is unwarranted, however. It relies on a host of controversial, but seldom questioned premises. This paper critically examines, and ultimately rejects, three such ideas: (i) that early human embryo is an actual, or at least a potential, human person; (ii) that in virtue of this fact, it must enjoy at least some, if not full moral protection; and (iii) that for that reason it should never be treated as a mere means to some further ends of ours, however noble and commendable these may be. The moral and legal obstacles erected to prevent or at least considerably confine the use of human embryos for stem celi research should therefore be removed.
Bibliografija: str. 163-164.
Keywords: raziskave na EMC -- embriji -- potencial -- dostojanstvo -- pravica do življenja -- moralni status; stem cell researches -- embryos -- potential -- dignity -- right to live -- moral status