This topic is inspired by actual research, but I am interested in a hypothetical ethical question (which kind of fits into the theme of recent WEPR threads). Imagine the hypothetical scenario where a team of researchers grow in their lab a fully functional human brain large enough to form a conscience.
I see two interesting aspects that can be addressed about this:
For everyone:
The issue of person-hood and all subsequent legal and moral aspects.
- Is it a person? Is it human?
- Does it have rights, all of them?
- Is it moral to keep it alive or is it potentially suffering psychologically?
For religious/spiritual people mostly:
The issue of the soul. Would you believe that that brain has a soul, or is it just a biological machine formed from human cells to you?