Essay - Ethics - Stem Cells the Ethical Issue of Stem Cells...

Ethics - Stem Cells

THE ETHICAL ISSUE OF STEM CELLS

Life Begins at Conception":

The belief that human life begins at conception is not a statement of fact but of religious belief. That ***** is the source ***** tremendous controversy because it lies at ***** root of the Right*****to-Life movement and political lobby th***** promotes anti-stem cell dogma in ***** United States. However, bo***** the motivation of our Forefathers in establish*****g an independent nation *****d the U.S. Constitution specifically prohibit any ********** religion (Dershowitz, 2002). While ***** religious-based idea that a fertilized human zygote consisting (literally) of only a few cells of human tissue is fully human is a validly-held (if inaccurate) personal belief, it cannot be the basis ***** secular law in the U.S. (Dershowitz, 2002).

In truth, human life began about one billion years ago with the evolution of the very first forms of biological life on earth and a few undifferenti*****ted cells of human ***** is no closer to being a hum*****n being than either sperm cell or ovum prior to fertilization. Each represents only the potential for human ***** under the right circumstances (Sagan, 1997; Sagan & Druyen, 1998). Certainly, fertilization accomplishes the joining of two sets of DNA, but a fingernail clipping or flake ***** human dandruff also contain a complete set of human DNA, and theref*****e, ***** alone ***** possibly be the basis ***** differentiating *****n-life from human life that deserves "protection." As the late Carl ***** often pointed out (1997; 1998), ***** majority of ***** pregnancies are actually aborted spontaneously as a heavy menstrual flow, and usually ********** any awareness on the part of the woman ***** she w***** ever pregnant, yet we do not m*****n the loss as ***** death of a human *****.

Identifying the Appropriate Line Bet*****en Science and Morality:

The definition of biological life and the criteria for when a collection of human cells can be justifiably considered alive lie exclusively within the realm of science, *****icularly since modern science is capable of observing fetal development directly and precisely. That is ***** to suggest that scientific ***** can necessarily pinpoint any specific instant or moment in time when a developing fetus can logically be considered a living ***** being, ***** ***** because such precision is impossible.

In principle, ********** ***** no doubt ***** medical science can identify the various stages of fetal development *****sociated with the ***** structures and processes that make us human. Likewise, they can identify the point where suffering becomes possible beca*****e neurological development produces ***** ability ***** perceive pain (Levine, 2008).

Therefore, the appropriate use of scientific criteria would be to link ethical concern for the fetus to sentience, ***** simply to err on the side of caution where pinpoint identification ***** ***** is impossible to know ***** certainty.

In principle, science (***** discipline) is strictly objective; in practice, scientists are susceptible to human failings such as malice, egoism, and greed. The field of ethics is fully capable of guiding the appropriate *****s and methods