It may be asked whether a discussion of inherent value is necessary in connection with microorganisms, or whether the ethical discussion could not be restricted to issues concerning the ethics of responsibility. However, the context of constitutional law within which the present discussion is being conducted calls for examination of the question of inherent value. Under Art. 120 of the Swiss Federal Constitution, the “dignity of living beings” is to be taken into account in the handling of animals, plants and other organisms.
Do microorganisms have an inherent value, i.e. do they have something that is also called “dignity”? Beings with an inherent value are morally significant in their own right. If one concludes that they do have an inherent value, one then needs to consider what direct obligations we have towards these beings.