The Dilemma of Frozen Embryos
Guests: Doug Sharp, Rich Geer, Jerry Bergman
Description: The central moral question regarding frozen embryos is deceptively simple: What, exactly, are they? Are they property, potential persons, or something in between? The answer shapes decisions about their use, storage, and eventual fate.
For some, embryos are pre-persons: collections of cells with the potential for life but not yet deserving of moral consideration equivalent to a child or adult. Others, grounded in religious or philosophical beliefs, consider embryos to be nascent human beings, worthy of protection and respect from the moment of conception.
These conflicting viewpoints fuel debates about the proper use, disposal, or donation of embryos. Is it ethical to discard surplus embryos, or to use them for scientific research? Should clinics be allowed to thaw and destroy embryos at the request of the individuals who created them?