The Moral Status of Human Embryos with Special Regard to Stem Cell Research and Therapy

This chapter contains a common statement from the Norwegian project group. The statement gives an introduction into embryo development and the stem cell field, including the question of different sources for human embryonic stem cells. It delivers a survey of some of the argumentative concepts within philosophical and theological debates regarding the moral status of human embryos and evaluates the relevance, strengths and weaknesses of the arguments. The statement also deals with ethical-normative elements connected to human biological life and ethical norms with relevance for research and clinical therapy. Finally, it includes a reflection about the ethical dilemma between medical progress on one hand and respect for embryos on the other. The conclusion outlines the profile of the two different positions represented in the group.