The Ethical Implications of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Technology seemingly never stops growing and changing. And why should it? Just as every human being changes with experience and age, so then do our creations. Unfortunately, it is in our collective nature as humans to be afraid of change. Change inevitably raises moral questions within us, removing us from the simplistic routine of daily life and placing us in the uncomfortable realm of controversy. When big changes happen, it's as if a fellow human has just died - it makes us re-evaluate our lives and the effect that such an event will have on them. Such is the case with embryonic stem cell research. Stem cell research, in and of itself, is not a new technology. Scientists and doctors have used adult stem cells for treatments on various blood diseases for years. No one is hurt in such a situation, and the Hippocratic oath is preserved. The issue of embryonic stem cell research is different, though. Embryonic stem cells are the very basis of human tissue, and therefore can replace almost any functional tissue in the human body, whereas adult stem cells are already grown and therefore cannot be given other tasks. Scientists remove the stem cells from embryonic tissue known as blastocysts, and as a result the embryo di
Her attitude towards embryonic stem cell research recalls the old saying, "Whatever happens, happens. Complicated and somewhat vague conjecture regarding exactly when humans get souls has arisen, as well as the basic questions. Her final comments - if a union of egg and sperm inside of her isn't a child, then the same combination in a petri dish is also not a child - is poignant and puts a refreshingly less-political spin on the issue. Lisa Latham presents a different angle on the controversy. Is the child a living human or not? Even if not, is the fact that the embryo will soon become a living human reason enough to end such research? What about the benefits of such research for those of us who are currently alive who might need some of these new and superior treatments? For Ramesh Ponnuru of the magazine National Review, the answers regarding this complex issue are deceptively simple. Of course, this is little more than a placebo for the debate - some will argue that such measures are vile, citing that a human being should never be a means to an end, and some will say that such measures are inhibiting science. " She lost her child in an embryonic state, and therefore believes that, as God "[weeded] out mismatched gametes" to protect her from a flawed child, embryos can hardly be considered children themselves. Rather than stating his position immediately, as Ponnuru chose to, he starts by examining the morality from both sides and then moves to his point, thus building a more effective argument. Unfortunately, Ponnuru's pro-life stance tends to find support in similar matters - when trying to emphasize that embryos are deserving of living, he asserts that "fifteen-year-olds, 31-year-olds, and 62-years-olds aren't babies, either, but nobody thinks it's okay to kill them. However, his arguments build up in a much more satisfactory way. As such, there's two definite positions at play here, with the requisite grays in the middle too. As a women who had an otherwise-imperceptible miscarriage while trying to conceive with her husband, she found that she was able to draw a distinction between embryos and fetuses, and thus her take on stem cell research was altered as well. He uses analogies and impassioned speech to greater effect by not allowing himself to call his opinions something so vague as "logic" - what he offers is what seems logical to him, without trying to hide behind a specific stance. Latham's take on the issue is well-informed; throughout the article, she often references reliable scientific sources and uses science as a rationale rather than emotion.
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