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Response to the Commentators

Introduction

Let me begin by expressing my thanks to Drs Pellegrino, Battaglia, and Fost for their thoughtful comments. They provided me with perspectives on the ethical issues involved in IVF that compelled me to think more carefully about these complex issues than I had previously.

In Response to Dr Pellegrino

Dr Pellegrino rejects my thesis that IVF does not wrong the various principals who are affected by its use. He claims that I have a "very restricted view of the moral life" because I ignore "those positive norms of beneficence that elevate ethics above law." This misconstrues my position, which is explained best in terms of a brief but apt characterization of beneficence offered by Dr Rosamond Rhodes. In a forthcoming article, Dr Rhodes observes that, "beneficence is...an important principle of ethics. It is derived from the understanding that anyone needing help would want others to provide it and require that we act for the good of others. Since morality demands that we treat others as we would wish to be treated ourselves, we are obliged to treat others with beneficence." Although not explicitly stated, health-care providers who are engaged in IVF purportedly are acting beneficently toward the infertile couple who is seeking help. I pursue the issue of possible wrongs in the use of IVF because if a wrong is committed, IVF cannot be viewed as being beneficent. Dr Pellegrino believes that wrongs are committed in the use of IVF; I do not.

Dr Pellegrino mistakenly attributes an argument to me that personhood cannot be conferred on the embryo until totipotency yields to specialized cellular development. Unless that happens, there is no individual to whom personhood can be attributed. This is Thomas Shannon's position, which I introduced to serve as a contrast to the position of the Catholic Church and not as a support for . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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