Embrionic Stem Cell Research

“Scientists in the United States and Japan have managed to turn regular human skin cells into the equivalent of embryonic stem cells — achieving what they’ve sought until now through the destruction of embryos, but without the need to use embryos, to use cloning, or to use eggs.” (Editorial, 2007)

“The debate over the ethics of stem-cell research intensified Wednesday with word that Virginia scientists have created human embryos in the lab solely for the valuable cells.” (Telegram, 2001)

These are just two of the thousands of articles available about Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research is a hot topic; due to the potential moral controversies and political party alignments associated with this matter. Because of the sensibility of this issue, we have seen the many different positions people take on this issue. On one side there are those who believe that the cure to deceases should not come at the cost of degrading the value of human life. This group of pro-lifers feels that, killing an embryo in order to extract its stem cells is a form of homicide. And then we have those who believe on “the promise of Stem Cells”; those who believe that Stem Cells may provide a renewable source of replacement cells to treat deceases, conditions, and disabilities. They feel that an embryo is not sentient because it has no brain or sensory organs; therefore research using stem cell derived from embryos is ethical.

The moral repercussions of this issue are varied, and therefore complex to analyze and determine its moral consequences. As already seen in some of our readings, philosophers have different point of views about what is morally correct and what is not; then why wouldn’t we? It is obvious that this is a controversial issue; however, that does not necessarily makes it morally wrong. It is extremely important to analyze the different views, and arrive to a conclusion.

Those in pro of this type of research will argue that an embryo is not yet a person; therefore, there is no moral or ethical harm in executing the research. However, I believe that it is the means used to conduct this research what makes it unethical and immoral. By killing an embryo we are simply stopping the process of the creation of a person.