The Bioethics of Stem Cell Research
Michael Kinsley, op-ed editor of the Los Angeles Times, wrote a scathing criticism of bioethicists last week. He argued that technology advances regardless of the moral quandries imagined by bioethicists and others like them. What’s worse, these moral experts barely even consider Kinsley’s life and the lives of others who suffer from Parkinson’s and other diseases that might benefit from these advances.
From Bioethicists Fiddle as Patients Die: Mr. Bush, don’t I matter more than tiny clumps of cells? (May 22, 2005):
…do the embryos used for stem cell research and therapy have rights? They are clumps of a few dozen cells, biologically more primitive than a mosquito. They have no consciousness, are not aware that they exist, and never have been. Nature itself creates and destroys millions of these every year. No one objects. No one mourns. In most cases no one even knows. If my life is worth no more than the survival of one of these clumps, then it is terribly unfair that I can plead my case on the Op-Ed page and they can’t. But I have no trouble feeling that the government should value my life more than the lives of these clumps. God may disagree. But the government reports to me and to other adult Americans, not to God.
Kinsley has a high opinion of scientists, though,
Scientists look for solutions. Although there are no guarantees, when you put more scientists onto a problem, you increase your chance of solving it. By contrast, professional ethicists tend to look for problems. When you put more ethicists onto a problem, you can end up with more problems.
Having been in science for most of my adult life, I’m not sure this is true. Most every scientist likes to poke holes in other scientists’ theories even if they haven’t got anything better to offer. Still, science somehow manages to go forward despite (or inspite of) any restrictions placed on it. The question is whether anyone will keep us mere civilians from benefitting.
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8 opinions for The Bioethics of Stem Cell Research
Krissy
Jun 2, 2005 at 7:36 am
Very interesting article. Not only do I think that moral preaching with regard to stem cell research will not only not prevent said research from moving forward, but any country (read: mine) who believes honestly that remaining in the medical dark ages will benefit them in any way needs their collective heads examined.
Other countries are so far outstripping the US in biological research that we’re being outrun in something that began as our own feild. (from what I understand, anyway).
I am sympathetic to people who feel that the pace of life exceeds their comfort levels, but have no patience for anyone in a position of power having a lockdown hold on the old way of doing things.
Of course that man with Parkinsons is more important than a bundle of non-sentient cells that will merely be discarded with the rest of the biological trash. Of course those cells should be put to good use.
And if the US doesn’t get with it, we’re going to be a has-been country. The next great revolution will pass us by.
Lei
Jun 2, 2005 at 8:38 am
Powerfully put, Krissy. I couldn’t agree with you more.
Qadira
Jun 2, 2005 at 8:51 am
In many people’s belief systems, consciousness and Soul does not meld with the physical frame until birth. In other’s beliefs, it occurs at the moment of conception.
There’s no happy middle ground here that will make the group of "life at conception" people OK with something such as stem cell research.
Still, there’s quite a lot of hypocrisy evidenced in these groups of people who are vocal in defense of the Stem Cells Rights- as seen in such things as condoning wars for economic growth, eradication of "icky" bugs or animals, and so on.
Ethics and bioethics are not easy things to muddle through and reach an end which will be acceptable to the most people.
All that said, my personal opinion is that once someone has gone ahead and Played God by tampering with their "natural order of reproduction" and has a bank of embryos stashed away, they have no room to quibble about the ethics of doing research on the unwanted ones. If people are going to ban stem cell research in the name of Ethics, they need to also ban the huge Fertility industry or else they are nothing more than hypocrits.
I’m personally in favor of keeping my nose out of other people’s choices in such things.
Is research a bad idea? It can be. Does it mean it shouldn’t be done? IMO, no. Trial and error and success and failure- without these things many of the convient things we have now wouldn’t be here. At one time in medical history, and not as long ago as people think, actually *gasp* cutting open the body was viewed as horrible.
anyhow, ‘nuf morning rambling out of this gal ;)
Lei
Jun 2, 2005 at 8:56 am
"I’m personally in favor of keeping my nose out of other people’s choices in such things."
That’s right. To a large degree, we have to let people decide if they find this technology valuable. Market forces and all that. Regardless of what the bioethicists say, if there’s a demand for treatment that originated from stem cells, that research will continue on and prosper.
And it is certainly true that plenty of people objected to IVF when it was first attempted. Just as some balk at the idea of having pig heart valves used as replacements in humans - chimeras and what not. Ask the people whose lives were bettered by these techniques if they would have prepared to remain tamper-free. I doubt it.
El
Jun 2, 2005 at 2:34 pm
I have a friend who’s a right-wing Republican. When I mentioned stem cell research, she said that "they’ve studied it and it didn’t work, it’s not going to cure anything. Even Christopher Reeve said so."
Well, OK. That’s what SHE read. In her favorite right-wing publications. That’s what they’re being told, and they’re believing it.
Lei
Jun 2, 2005 at 6:34 pm
El, Thanks for the comment! Even though it did make me want to tear my hair out!!!
Nectarflowed
Jun 20, 2005 at 5:18 am
El, Yeah, the conservatives and liberals are actually referring to different sets of information regarding bioethics stuff like stem cells and the Schiavo case. No wonder the gulf is so wide!
Lei
Jun 20, 2005 at 5:32 am
Thanks for the comment, Nectarflowed. It is such a shame that people try to spin rhetoric to suit their own political purposes instead of keeping in mind that there are people out there who can benefit from therapy derived from stem cells.
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