New developments in reproductive technology have made headlines since the birth of the world's first in vitro fertilization baby in 1978. But is embryo experimentation ethically acceptable? What is the moral status of the early human embryo? And how should a democratic society deal with so controversial an issue, where conflicting views are based on differing religious and philosophical positions? These controversial questions are the subject of this book, which, as a current compendium of ideas and arguments on the subject, makes an original contribution of major importance to this debate.

Table of Contents:
Foreword J. D. McCaughey; 1. Introduction Karen Dawson; Part I. The Scientific Issues: Introduction to this section Karen Dawson; Why do embryo research? Alan Trounson; Part II. The Moral Status of the Embryo The nature of ethical argument: an introduction Peter Singer and Helga Kuhse; (i) Arguments about the status of different developmental stages Fertilization and moral status Karen Dawson; Segmentation and moral status Karen Dawson; When does a new individual begin, and what does it matter, morally? Helga Kuhse; What makes a being morally significant? Peter Singer and Helga Kuhse; (ii) Arguments about potential IVF Technology and the argument from potential Peter Singer and Helga Kuhse; Arguing from potential Stephen Buckle; Part III. Controlling Embryo Experimentation in a Democratic Society (i) Legislation or self-regulation; The case for self-regulation John Funder; Community control of IVF and embryo experimentation Max Charlesworth; Self-regulation and embryo experimentation in Australia - a critique Pascal Kasimba; (ii) Forming a public policy Public policy in a pluralist society R. M. Hare; Is IVF research a threat to women's autonomy M. A. Warren; IVF regulation: the search for a legal basis Pascal Kasimba; How scientists view regulation: an interview with Drs Alan Trounson and Ismail Kola Karen Dawson; (iii) Drawing lines. Biological processes and moral events Stephen Buckle; The distinction between therapeutic and non-therapeutic experimentation Elizabeth Gaze and Karen Dawson; The syngamy debate: when does an embryo begin? Stephen Buckle, Karen Dawson and Peter Singer; Part IV. The First Legislation: An examination of Victoria's law; The Waller committee and the origins of the Victorian legistation Elizabeth Gaze; Experiments on embryos: permissions and prohibitions under the Infertility (Medical Procedures) Act, 1984 Pascal Kasimba; Legislation and the problems of research Karen Dawson; When is cloning lawful? Pascal Kasimba and Margaret Brumby; An interview with Louis Waller Elizabeth Gaze; Conclusion; Afterword J. M. Swan; Glossary Karen Dawson; Appendices: Infertility (Medical Procedures) Act, 1984 National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines on embryo experimentation A summary of law relating to embryo experimentation around the world Pascal Kasimba.