Consciousness and the Ethics of Human Brain Organoid Research.
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics March 23, 2023 DOI: 10.1017/s0963180123000063 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the correlation between degrees of consciousness in human brain organoids and their moral status or research protections is mistaken, and proposes an alternative account. |
Abstract
The possibility of consciousness in human brain organoids is sometimes viewed as determinative in terms of the moral status such entities possess, and, in turn, in terms of the research protections such entities are due. This commonsense view aligns with a prominent stance in neurology and neuroscience that consciousness admits of degrees. My paper outlines these views and provides an argument for why this picture of correlating degrees of consciousness with moral status and research protections is mistaken. I then provide an alternative account of the correlation between moral status and consciousness, and consider the epistemic ramifications for research protections of this account.