The potentiality argument refers to the capacity of a human embryo to develop into a subject. The argument states that even unborn or unconscious people who are currently not capable of conscious acts, still remain potentially acting subjects and are therefore to be accorded the dignity due to a subject. According to this argument, early embryos already represent potential persons. Thus, the production and destruction of human embryos for research purposes is morally unjustifiable.

In addition to the standard objections that confront the argument with demarcation and explication problems, recent research results with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) give reason to rethink the potentiality argument. By using the procedure of tetraploid embryonic complementation scientists have shown that iPS cells are theoretically able to develop into a complete organism. In the animal model, viable offspring was already produced this way (see the module Tetraploid embryonic complementation). According to the potentiality argument, these iPS cells and thus all somatic cells that can be reprogrammed into iPS cells should also have the moral status of a person. In this context, the potentiality argument appears to be implausible without further normative assumptions.