Using human embryos for any purpose other than to allow it grow into a baby is highly controversial and unethical. It disfigures human dignity. Destroying a human embryo either of the in-vivo or the surplus in vitro or of the cloned one to provide a cure for a disease is wholly unacceptable and morally evil. Human dignity cannot be sacrificed at the altar of research laboratories. Therefore “it is wrong to destroy embryos of any gestational age, for any purpose,” for “human life develops itself not something unto humans, but as humans.”
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What are Stem Cells?
- What are embryonic stem cells?
- What are adult stem cells?
- Successes of adult vs Failures of embryonic SCRs
- SCR in India: The Emerging Scenario
- Global Regulations on SCR
- The Key Problem
- Extracting Embryonic Stem Cells without Killing the Embryo?
- The Embryos in vitro
- Therapeutic Cloning
- The Moral Status of the Embryo
- The Meaning and Significance of Human Dignity
- Ethics of Healing
Objectives and Key Themes
This work aims to present a comprehensive ethical debate surrounding embryonic stem cell research (SCR), focusing on the moral implications of destroying embryos to obtain stem cells. It explores the scientific advancements in both embryonic and adult stem cell research, examines global regulations and policies, and delves into the philosophical and theological arguments concerning the moral status of the embryo.
- The ethical dilemma of balancing the potential benefits of SCR with the moral implications of destroying human embryos.
- A comparison of embryonic and adult stem cell research, highlighting successes and failures.
- Global variations in regulations and policies governing SCR.
- Philosophical and theological perspectives on the moral status of the embryo.
- The concept of human dignity in the context of SCR.
Chapter Summaries
The Introduction establishes the significance of stem cell research and introduces the central ethical controversy surrounding the derivation of embryonic stem cells. Chapter 1 defines stem cells, differentiating between embryonic and adult stem cells, and presents a comparison of their research successes and failures. Chapter 2 discusses the status of SCR in India, including its regulations and ongoing research. Chapter 3 provides an overview of global regulations and policies on human embryonic SCR across various countries. Chapter 4 focuses on the key ethical problem posed by embryonic stem cell research—the destruction of the embryo—and explores potential solutions like new methodologies for obtaining stem cells without destroying embryos. Chapter 5 examines diverse viewpoints on the moral status of the embryo, presenting various philosophical arguments. Chapter 6 delves into the meaning and significance of human dignity in relation to the ethical debate surrounding SCR. Chapter 7 discusses the ethics of healing within a Christian framework, emphasizing the holistic nature of healing beyond just disease cure.
Keywords
Embryonic stem cell research, adult stem cell research, ethical implications, moral status of the embryo, human dignity, therapeutic cloning, global regulations, India, religious perspectives, philosophical arguments, regenerative medicine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central ethical dilemma in embryonic stem cell research (SCR)?
The main conflict lies in balancing the potential medical benefits of healing diseases with the moral implications of destroying human embryos to obtain the cells.
How does embryonic SCR relate to the concept of human dignity?
Critics argue that using human embryos for research disfigures human dignity and treats human life as a mere means to an end rather than an end in itself.
What are adult stem cells and why are they mentioned?
Adult stem cells are found in developed tissues. They are often presented as an ethically acceptable alternative to embryonic cells, with the paper comparing their research successes and failures.
What is "therapeutic cloning" in this context?
It is the creation of a cloned embryo for the purpose of harvesting stem cells for medical treatment, a practice that is highly controversial and subject to global regulations.
How is SCR regulated globally?
Regulations vary significantly by country; the work explores global policies and the specific emerging scenario of stem cell research in India.
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- Charles Davis James (Autor:in), 2008, An Ethical Debate on Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Human Dignity or Research Freedom?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/123743
