Book's Claim That Personhood Begins At Conception Does Not Match With 'Messiness Of Biology,' Opinion Piece Says

Main Category: Transplants / Organ Donations
Also Included In: Fertility;  Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 15 Feb 2008 - 10:00 PDT

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Robert George, a member of the President's Council on Bioethics, and colleague Christopher Tollefsen in their book, Embryo: A Defense of Human Life, use science to argue that all research involving embryos and production of multiple embryos for fertility treatments should be banned; however, their claims do not match the "messiness of biology," William Saletan, a national correspondent for Slate, writes in an opinion piece.

According to Saletan, George and Tollefsen in their book argue that a human's "developmental program" begins at conception, and thus so does "personhood." Saletan discusses what he believes are flaws in the authors' arguments. "The embryo does have a program, and its launch does mark the sharpest line in human development," Saletan writes, adding, "But even that line is dotted."

Saletan concludes that it is "reasonable" to "build moderate" policies on in vitro fertilization, stem cell research and abortion along the other various "lines" of embryonic development "even if, like the rest of biology," the lines are not "absolutely clear" (Saletan, Slate, 2/13).

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