Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 47-02, page: 0981. Adviser: Luisa Franzini. Includes bibliographical references.

Over the past few years, embryo research has been a widely discussed topic. New techniques such as embryo stem cell research or therapeutic cloning are considered by scientists to be very promising. Nevertheless, opponents of these experimentations warn against the commodification of human life forms and argue that the moral status of embryos should protect them from being destroyed purely for research. / Legislations on this topic have been enacted in most Western countries, though they are still much criticised. Is there an adequate way of regulating embryo research? Our argument suggests that consensus can only be procedurally obtained. That is, we believe that only legislative assemblies should have authority to take a position on this controversial topic, which is subject to moral disagreement, and as such, judges should only have a minor role.

Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, 2008. / Department of Philosophy, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Peggy Zeglin Brand, Jason T. Eberl, Michael B. Burke. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-84).

Zugl.: Halle (Saale), Univ., Diss., 2008

A presente dissertação é fruto de uma investigação filosófica, inserida na linha de pesquisa de Ética. Esse trabalho aprofunda uma discussão polêmica no contexto da Bioética, a saber: a manipulação de células embrionárias. Contudo, o autor não envereda seus esforços nas conse-quências éticas advindas das novas tecnologias produzidas pela Engenharia Genética, mas adentra na causa do problema, isto é, pretende antes saber se o embrião humano é ser vivo, ser humano e, principalmente, pessoa. Assim, o autor tem como objetivo principal investigar o status ontológico e moral do embrião humano. Nesse contexto, investiga o conceito de identidade pessoal, examinando-o - brevemente - à luz de duas teorias da Filosofia da Mente: internalista, que defende a construção do eu por bases internas; e a externalista, que advoga a construção do eu por bases externas. Elenca e analisa os atributos essenciais que concebe uma pessoa. Também pesquisa o conceito de dignidade humana e sua vinculação ao conceito de pessoa, tendo como base a filosofia moral de Immanuel Kant, através de sua obra Fundamentação da Metafísica dos Costumes. Além desta e da bibliografia utilizada sobre o tema, a fonte principal dessa discussão é a obra Ética Prática, do filósofo Peter Singer. Vale destacar que existem três posições dominantes dentro dessa temática: a) Teoria Concepcionalista, a qual argumenta que o embrião é pessoa desde a concepção e, por isso, desautoriza qualquer manipulação; b) Teoria Genético-Desenvolvimentista, a qual defende a pessoalidade do embrião a partir de diferentes etapas do seu desenvolvimento biológico e, desse modo, defende as pesquisas biomédicas; c) Teoria da Potencialidade da Pessoa, a qual advoga que o embrião ainda não tem a pessoalidade, no entanto, é um potencial ser humano e pessoa, e, por essa razão, sua integridade deve ser preservada. Ao final, o autor enumera as principais implicações éticas, psicológicas, sociais e jurídicas, uma vez determinados os estatutos ontológico e moral do embrião humano. / This dissertation is the result of philosophical inquiry, inserted in the line of research ethics. This study further develops a raging debate in the context of bioethics, namely the manipulation of embryonic cells. However, the author doesn`t embarks their efforts on ethical consequences arising from new technologies produced by genetic engineering, but enters into the cause of the problem, ie, does it want to know whether the human embryo is a living being, human being, and especially people. So the author's main objective is to investigate the ontological and moral status of human embryo. In this context, investigates the concept of personal identity, examining it - briefly - in the light of two theories of the Philosophy of Mind: internalist, which advocates the construction of the self by internal bases, and the externalist, defending the construction of the self by external bases. It lists and analyzes the essential attributes that a person is conceived. It also searches the concept of the humans dignity and its relationship to the concept of person, based on Immanuel Kant`s moral philosophy, through his work Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals. In this and the vast bibliography on the topic, the main source of the work is Practical Ethics, of the philosopher Peter Singer. It is worth mentioning that there are three dominant positions within this theme: a) Conception Theory, which argues that the embryo is a person from conception and therefore disallows any manipulation, b) Genetic, Developmental Theory, which defends the personhood of the embryo from different stages of their biological development and therefore supports biomedical research, c) Theory of the Potential of People, which advocates that the embryo does not have "personhood," however, is a potential human being and person, and therefore its integrity must be preserved. In the end, the author lists the main ethical, psychological, social and legal, since given the ontological and moral statutories of human embryo.

A presente dissertação é fruto de uma investigação filosófica, inserida na linha de pesquisa de Ética. Esse trabalho aprofunda uma discussão polêmica no contexto da Bioética, a saber: a manipulação de células embrionárias. Contudo, o autor não envereda seus esforços nas conse-quências éticas advindas das novas tecnologias produzidas pela Engenharia Genética, mas adentra na causa do problema, isto é, pretende antes saber se o embrião humano é ser vivo, ser humano e, principalmente, pessoa. Assim, o autor tem como objetivo principal investigar o status ontológico e moral do embrião humano. Nesse contexto, investiga o conceito de identidade pessoal, examinando-o - brevemente - à luz de duas teorias da Filosofia da Mente: internalista, que defende a construção do eu por bases internas; e a externalista, que advoga a construção do eu por bases externas. Elenca e analisa os atributos essenciais que concebe uma pessoa. Também pesquisa o conceito de dignidade humana e sua vinculação ao conceito de pessoa, tendo como base a filosofia moral de Immanuel Kant, através de sua obra Fundamentação da Metafísica dos Costumes. Além desta e da bibliografia utilizada sobre o tema, a fonte principal dessa discussão é a obra Ética Prática, do filósofo Peter Singer. Vale destacar que existem três posições dominantes dentro dessa temática: a) Teoria Concepcionalista, a qual argumenta que o embrião é pessoa desde a concepção e, por isso, desautoriza qualquer manipulação; b) Teoria Genético-Desenvolvimentista, a qual defende a pessoalidade do embrião a partir de diferentes etapas do seu desenvolvimento biológico e, desse modo, defende as pesquisas biomédicas; c) Teoria da Potencialidade da Pessoa, a qual advoga que o embrião ainda não tem a pessoalidade, no entanto, é um potencial ser humano e pessoa, e, por essa razão, sua integridade deve ser preservada. Ao final, o autor enumera as principais implicações éticas, psicológicas, sociais e jurídicas, uma vez determinados os estatutos ontológico e moral do embrião humano. / This dissertation is the result of philosophical inquiry, inserted in the line of research ethics. This study further develops a raging debate in the context of bioethics, namely the manipulation of embryonic cells. However, the author doesn`t embarks their efforts on ethical consequences arising from new technologies produced by genetic engineering, but enters into the cause of the problem, ie, does it want to know whether the human embryo is a living being, human being, and especially people. So the author's main objective is to investigate the ontological and moral status of human embryo. In this context, investigates the concept of personal identity, examining it - briefly - in the light of two theories of the Philosophy of Mind: internalist, which advocates the construction of the self by internal bases, and the externalist, defending the construction of the self by external bases. It lists and analyzes the essential attributes that a person is conceived. It also searches the concept of the humans dignity and its relationship to the concept of person, based on Immanuel Kant`s moral philosophy, through his work Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals. In this and the vast bibliography on the topic, the main source of the work is Practical Ethics, of the philosopher Peter Singer. It is worth mentioning that there are three dominant positions within this theme: a) Conception Theory, which argues that the embryo is a person from conception and therefore disallows any manipulation, b) Genetic, Developmental Theory, which defends the personhood of the embryo from different stages of their biological development and therefore supports biomedical research, c) Theory of the Potential of People, which advocates that the embryo does not have "personhood," however, is a potential human being and person, and therefore its integrity must be preserved. In the end, the author lists the main ethical, psychological, social and legal, since given the ontological and moral statutories of human embryo.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(人間健康科学) / 乙第13143号 / 論人健博第4号 / 新制||人健||4(附属図書館) / (主査)教授 精山 明敏, 教授 澤本 伸克, 教授 伊佐 正 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Human Health Sciences / Kyoto University / DFAM

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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Ethical considerations of the human embryo have involved heated dispute and seem always to result in the same interminable debate. A history of this debate, however, shows a shift in the language used to distinguish between degrees of moral status – while the debate once focused on the presence or absence of “human life,” now it is more likely to hear whether the qualifications for “personhood” have been met. In other words, any member of the human species may deserve some level of respect, but only the “persons” deserve full moral respect. This leaves open the possibility for a human being who is not actually a person – a “nonperson human being.” As an answer to the question of exactly what kind of respect to give the human embryo, Aristotelian moral philosophy offers a unique perspective, one which is distinctive from the familiar debate. Aristotle’s concept of ergon, or function, is a key to understanding what is essential in any human being, because it reveals the importance of potentiality to our nature as rational beings. A philosophical view of function, combined with the data of modern embryology, makes the case that our proper function is the vital part of who we are as human beings, and that a disruption of human function constitutes a true harm. This thesis contrasts Aristotelian proper human function with the modern understanding of a “nonperson human being,” especially as articulated within the ethical theory of Peter Singer. This understanding of function, revealing the essence of human potential and linked with human development, offers a sort of “common-sense morality” response to modern views on personhood.

Thesis (MScMedSc (Obstetrics and Gynaecology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / CHAPTER 1 presents comprehensive background information regarding all aspects addressed in this thesis. Special attention was given to literature on paternal influences on embryonic development, the role of sperm RNA, sperm chromatin and sperm functional aspects i.e. morphology and acrosomal status and size. The experimental design and all relevant methods used during the study as well as the material that were used are presented in CHAPTER 2. The results of the different techniques and evaluations are provided in CHAPTER 3. It was found that 70% of the embryos that showed no developmental potential were Y-chromosome bearing embryos. The sperm selection process for ICSI based on the approach of choosing the “best looking“ spermatozoon in the ejaculate seem to provide cells that can be classified as normal based on the length width ratio set by the WHO for normal cells. The chromatin packaging quality of the sperm correlated significantly and negatively with the percentage normal cells in the ejaculates. CHAPTER 4 comprises of a general discussion of the results and short summary of the major findings during the project. The discussion section focused on the paternal influence on the embryonic development and provided a suggestion for future research that can possibly lead to the use of X-chromosome bearing sperm in case of severe male factor cases. CHAPTER 5 contains the bibliographical information of the study.