Biotechnology and human dignity : a European perspective

Abstract

The precise meaning of “human dignity” is increasingly being questioned in ethics and law. Is human dignity an adequate guide to policymaking in today’s biotechnological era? This article is an attempt to answer this thorny issue. The emergence of the concept of human dignity as a key point of reference for the regulation of modern science and technology in the European Union is evaluated. The main contribution of this article is to prove that in EU Directives and Recommendations, human dignity is not an elusive concept but rather a regulatory restraint in European public policies on biotechnology, particularly through the influence of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE). Two examples will be elaborated to prove this claim: first, the issue of intellectual property in biotechnological inventions, and secondly the funding of research proposals involving the use of human embryonic stem cells. These examples prove that the principle of human dignity is not an empty concept as some philosophers and bioethicists claim but rather a normative guideline that is shaping European policies on biotechnology.