Philosophical Considerations About the Beginning of Humana Life and Their Clinical Implications

Abstract

Philosophical considerations about the beginnings of human life have important clinical implications for the initiation of pregnancy and for basic science and clinical research in reproductive medicine. Obstetrician–gynecologists already are familiar with ethical considerations, especially about the moral status of the embryo and the fetus. Obstetrician–gynecologists are less familiar with the metaphysical considerations that underlie these familiar ethical considerations. Understanding these metaphysical considerations and their connections to the ethical considerations are valuable for professionally responsible clinical practice. In this chapter, we provide a concise and accessible introduction to philosophical reasoning, to metaphysics and its implications for ethical reasoning, to the metaphysics of human reproduction, to the connections to the ethics of human reproduction, and then to the implications of these philosophical considerations for the professional ethics of clinical practice in obstetrics and gynecology. Metaphysics may at first appear far removed from practice in reproductive medicine. In this chapter, we have shown that the latter and the former are intimately connected. A basic knowledge of the metaphysics of particulars and individuals helps to elucidate the concept of dependent and independent moral status and therefore the professional responsibilities of obstetrician–gynecologists regarding practice in reproductive medicine.