The bitter national debates over abortion, euthanasia, and stem cell research have created an unbridgeable gap between religious groups and those who insist that faith-based views have no place in public policy. Religious conservatives are so adamantly opposed to stem cell research in particular that President Bush issued the first veto of his presidency over a bill that would have provided federal funding for such research.

Now, in this timely consideration of the nature and rights of human embryos, Robert P. George and Christopher Tollefsen make a persuasive case that we as a society should neither condone nor publicly fund embryonic stem cell research of any kind.

Typically, right-to-life arguments have been based explicitly on moral and religious grounds. In Embryo, the authors eschew religious arguments and make a purely scientific and philosophical case that the fetus, from the instant of conception, is a human being, with all the moral and political rights inherent in that status. As such, stem cell research that destroys a viable embryo represents the unacceptable taking of a human life.

There is also no room in their view for a “moral dualism” that regards being a “person” as merely a stage in a human life span. An embryo does not exist in a “prepersonal” stage that does not merit the inviolable rights otherwise ascribed to persons. Instead, the authors argue, the right not to be intentionally killed is inherent in the fact of being a human being, and that status begins at the moment of conception.

Moreover, just as none should be excluded from moral and legal protections based on race, sex, religion, or ethnicity, none should be excluded on the basis of age, size, or stage of biological development.

George and Tollefsen fearlessly grapple with the political, scientific, and cultural consequences arising from their position and offer a summary of scientific alternatives to embryonic stem cell research. They conclude that the state has an ethical and moral obligation to protect embryonic human beings in just the same manner that it protects every other human being, and they advocate for embryo adoption—the only ethical solution to the problem of spare embryos resulting from in-vitro fertilization.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 14 reviews)

Embryo by Elena Worlinsky (wilkes-barre pa)

5 Stars
May 21, 2009
This book really helped me defend life in a completely objective way (no religious slant).
Good support for research papers!

Valuable Contribution to this Vital Public Topic by rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States)

5 Stars
May 08, 2009
When does the human being, person, individual begin? This question is vexing our society. Here George and Tollefsen present a coherent answer to this not from religion or theology, but from science, morality and public policy.

There is different loci to this issue, the moral, the scientific, the political, which they categorize as: embryo science, embryo technology and embryo ethics.

Science and technology do not answer the vital question which is the major thrust of this effort: "guidance in making moral decisions about the treatment of those embryos or of human beings at any developmental stage."

They persistently rely upon their conclusion from embryo science that: from "embryologists and developmental biologists, who are collectively responsible for the standard textbooks in their fields, agree in making fertilization, not gastrulation, as the beginning of the human individual." This they summarize in this well put phrase: "the early human embryo is not "a potential human" but a "human with potential".

They then proceed to take on all challengers who would deny this human being the right to all the moral rights and protections that we all have from solely from being what we are, a human being. These include such as dualism, utilitarianism, consequentalism, those that would deny that the early human embryo is not a whole individual, etc. They also contend with those who put forward that embryonic stem cells are equivalent to embryos and make the important point that the early human embryo has everything it needs inside itself to come to development as a human being if protected and allowed to develop.

Their arguments seem well conceived and the repute they offer to their challengers strikes this reviewer initially as significant. I wait however to review the continuing debate between the sides. This civility in reaching public policy the authors correctly state is the overarching impetus for this book's being published.

I appreciate they do not enter into any theological argumentation, although this certainly is near and dear to many of us. That they can provide this coherent and captivating argument above all others must be dealt with by the opposition in public forum avenues.

Anyone interested at all in this controversial area with any amount of open mindedness will want to read this finely crafted effort. They conclude by placing forward three major proposals for each of three areas, i.e. Technological, Cultural and Political.

Robert J. Fallon by Robert J. Fallon (Brooklyn, New York)

5 Stars
December 26, 2008
An excellent, timely and user friendly review and debate resourse for those who wish to be articulate and well informed defenders of life.

Fantastic by Cecilia Portilla

5 Stars
December 19, 2008
Thorough presentation of Embryology, Developmental Biology, and the arguments for and against viewing an embryo as a human life. Would recommend it for anyone interested in enlightenment on the issues and arguments.

A Profound Defense of Human Life. by New Age of Barbarism (EVROPA.)

5 Stars
October 21, 2008
_Embryo: A Defense of Human Life_, published in 2008 by Doubleday, by Princeton professor of jurisprudence Robert P. George and philosophy professor Christopher Tollefsen is a profound defense of human life at all stages of development written by two notable philosophers (one of whom, Robert P. George, is a member of the President's Council on Bioethics). This book comes at an important time because it addresses an issue which has become one of critical importance - the stem cell research debate which may end up involving embryo-destructive research. This brief book argues that human life begins at fertilization and argues persuasively that this can be shown using human reason alone without appeals to religion and without mention of the human soul. The authors also refute various dualistic views of the human person and other moral positions showing them to be equally problematic. To do this, the authors must delve extensively into human embryology to show the development of the young human being. The authors also consider various philosophical arguments for and against embryonic-destructive research showing that the path is fraught with many difficulties. This book makes a profound case for the pro-life position and argues effectively against the destruction of human embryos for any purpose, even if that purpose may serve some greater good.

The first chapter of this book considers "What Is At Stake in the Embryo Experimentation Debate". The authors begin with a story "Noah and the Flood" telling the tale of Noah Benton who was rescued as an embryo from a hospital in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and went on to become a healthy infant. From this the authors conclude that human embryos from the very beginning are indeed human life and one can see this in the growth and development of the embryo Noah who became the human infant Noah. The authors consider some of the technologies involving human embryos of today and tomorrow. They begin with the first such technologies including the creation of "test tube babies" and move on to the current debate over stem cell research. The authors also consider alternatives to embryonic destructive research showing that both the benefits of stem cell research have been greatly exaggerated and the alternatives not fully considered. The authors then consider the contention between "Religion and Reason" showing how their detractors have made the claim that arguments against embryonic destructive research are rooted in religion and not reason. However, the authors show that such arguments can be made without appeal to religious revelation and are in fact rooted in a profound respect for human life at all stages of its development. The authors then provide the layout of the argument contained in the rest of the book. The second chapter of this book considers "The Facts of Embryology" and provides a detailed highly technical discussion of the facts of embryology and embryonic development. The authors provide a detailed discussion of this topic focusing especially on when human life is created in this process. The authors examine gametogenesis and then show how through the process of fertilization a new human life comes to be. The authors conclude that life begins no later than at syngamy, the lining up of pairs of chromosomes and may occur even earlier once the sperm has entered and united with the oocyte. The authors then trace the development and growth of the new organism as the embryo develops. The authors then consider "What is the Human Embryo", showing effectively that the embryo is a human person at the earliest stage of development, and also demonstrating that human male and female gametes are not human persons just as somatic cells are not human persons. The authors also consider cases of twinning and various other arguments that have been put against the claim that life begins at fertilization and effectively shows why they do not refute this claim. Further, the authors distinguish between human embryos which are human persons and disordered growths such as hydatiform moles or teratoma. The third chapter of this book is entitled "Dualism and Persons". Here, the authors discuss and argue against various "person-body dualisms", e.g. soul-body and mind-body dualism of Plato and Descartes, Lockean dualism, brain-body dualisms, constitutionalism, and moral dualism, finding all to be problematic in that they do not reflect the fundamental unity of the human person. The authors argue for "animalism" arguing that humans are human animals, distinct individuals of the species Homo sapiens. The fourth chapter is entitled "Moral Philosophy and the Early Human Being". The authors consider various moral philosophies, e.g. those of Bentham, Mill, and Sidgwick (utilitarianism), utilitarianism and consequentialism (mentioning the views of Peter Singer), Kant and deontology, and natural law and human fulfillment. The authors argue for human rights and human dignity in light of these considerations. The fifth chapter is entitled "Moral Dualism" and considers the case of various philosophers who may admit that human embryos are human persons but who deny that all human persons have a right to life. The authors consider such topics as the developmental view, the attribution view of personhood, arguments from brain death and grief, arguments concerning natural embryo loss, and various arguments concerning who one would rescue relating to human embryos. The authors show these arguments to be fallacious and provide a case against them. The sixth chapter is entitled "New Objections to the Humanity of the Early Embryo" and considers further objections made to the humanity of the human embryo. The authors consider such topics as individuals, organisms, and person in which an argument is made that the human embryo can be considered an individual, the unity of the early human embryo, arguments made based on the supposed fact that the embryo does not look human, arguments concerning somatic cells, arguments concerning stem cells, an argument attempting to make the distinction between vegetative and sentient life, etc. The authors refute these arguments effectively and maintain their position regarding the human embryo. The seventh chapter of this book is entitled "Further Challenges". Here, the authors consider an argument made relating acorns and embryos, arguments concerning "clonotes" and discussing the tricky moral challenges of human cloning, and an argument claiming that "nothing is lost" and "there is no cooperation with evil" for those who benefit from embryonic destructive stem cell research though they may be opposed to embryonic destruction. The authors again refute these arguments effectively. The last chapter of this book is a "Conclusion". The authors consider "The Political Question" (explaining how theories of "political liberalism" have been used against those who oppose embryonic destructive research and maintaining that the United States should acknowledge in law that it will protect embryonic human life), "The Technological Question" (considering alternatives to embryonic stem cells and arguing that these alternatives should be heavily funded), and "The Cultural Question" (considering the case of embryos which have been frozen in fertility clinics and considering the possibility that these embryos may be "adopted" and calling for regulation of such practices so that excess embryos are not created).

This book offers a profound argument in support of human life at all stages of development. The authors address significant issues concerning the human embryo and refute challenges raised to the claim that life begins at fertilization. The authors consider possibilities and alternatives to embryonic destructive research and examine problematic topics. As such, this book offers an important case made in defense of human life.

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