Some Preliminary Questions to Consider...
Again, welcome! As I strive to better understand the world surrounding the debate over stem cell research, I am constantly confronted with this question of priority and life. It has been established that the most informative stem cells are those that reside in four to five day old fertilized embryos, the removal of which destroys the fetus. Even though stem cells exist in adults, it is widely understood that adult stem cells are limited in the types of cells that they can become, making embryonic stem cells more valuable for research and, therefore, the treatment for patients. As such, I believe that every side of the debate revolves around a fundamental right to life, and consequently, whose right to life is more supreme: that of the fetus or the patient? The more I question, the more questions arise. Thus, I propose that you begin to ask yourself some of the following questions to better understand where my views come from.
1) Do you think that this question resides in the heart of the debate over stem cell research?
2) How would you begin to prioritize between these two lives?
3) Can you ever make an absolute conclusion about the right to study embryonic stem cells?
4) Since it seems reliable to assume that everyone has their own opinion on the matter, who has the right to determine the results of the debate?
5) Are there other means of creating stem cells (e.g. cloning) that may be more morally acceptable?
I hope you find these questions as interesting as I do. I hope to tackle at least some of them in the subsequent posts, so please stay tuned.
1) Do you think that this question resides in the heart of the debate over stem cell research?
2) How would you begin to prioritize between these two lives?
3) Can you ever make an absolute conclusion about the right to study embryonic stem cells?
4) Since it seems reliable to assume that everyone has their own opinion on the matter, who has the right to determine the results of the debate?
5) Are there other means of creating stem cells (e.g. cloning) that may be more morally acceptable?
I hope you find these questions as interesting as I do. I hope to tackle at least some of them in the subsequent posts, so please stay tuned.
posted by Victoria at 6:44 PM
3 Comments:
I found this site to be very informative and engaging. It is very unbiased and presents an interesting stance on the issue of stem cell research. I strongly support stem cell research. The benefits gained from this type of research is undeniable. Thank you.
Hi, I'm Mr. Cold-Blooded Scientist.
We CBS's use a meter to take samples of the brain activity levels of humans from the embryo to the grave, that way, we're sure to discover cutoff points where we can terminate life without any dispute! But wait, it's a continuous spectrum of values without any visible discontinuity...
Even with one set of cold, empirical data, multiple decisions can be made. Even if we do create a definitive scale, there will be some people who do not agree with it. Which is worse: killing a homeless person with a brain-activity level of 100 units or a millionaire with a level of 100 units? The cutoff point is 101 units; those above it are considered "worthy."
Dealing with life is iffy, and in theory it wouldn't be that hard to make decisions over unemotional things like a refrigerator. "Hey, it's only 70% efficient now, let's get rid of it!" "But the cutoff point is 71%, let's give it some more time to save money"
So, dealing with personal investments is hard then. Don't really want to say good bye to that car you worked a $5.50/hr job to get... Whenever a personal element is involved, a good resolution is most likely going to be in hiding for a long time, say forever. Individuals based on self-righteousness will be hard-pressed to find common ground.
I agree with you, Mr. Cold-Blooded Scientist. Common ground cannot be reached because a diverse society, such as America's, lends itself to conflicting interests and beliefs. If everyone believes something different, and because it is a matter of live an death, who would want to compromise their definition of stem cell research so reach a resolution? However, if no resolution is reach, the issue will thus stand...
If you are interested, my website (the link is posted on my blog) will problematize the issue of stem cell research and hopefully (for it is up to your perspective) find a solution to eraditcating the controversy of stem cell research
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