Argument of Species Affiliation
According to the argument of species affiliation, dignity is to be accorded to a human being by virtue of his or her being human. This means that specific qualities, such as the existence of the primitive streak or consciousness, are not determinative as to whether or not an individual is to be accorded dignity, but rather solely his or her belonging to the human species.
Different Positions can be found in:
George, Robert P. / Lee, Patrick (2009): Embryonic human persons. Talking Point on morality and human embryo research. In: EMBO Reports 10(4), 301-306. doi: 10.1038/embor.2009.42 Online Version
Singer, Peter (1980): Practical Ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Singer, Peter (1996): Rethinking Life and Death: The Collapse of Our Traditional Ethics. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Kuhse, Helga / Singer, Peter (1986): Embryo Research: The Ethics of Embryo Research. In: The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 14(3-4), 133-138. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-720X.1986.tb00966.x Online Version
Brock, D. W. (2006): Is a consensus possible on stem cell research? Moral and political obstacles. In: Journal of Medical Ethics 32(1), 36-42. doi: 10.1136/jme.2005.013581 Online Version