David DeGrazia
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195389630
- eISBN:
- 9780199949731
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195389630.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
The ethics of creating—or declining to create—people has been addressed in several contexts: debates over abortion and embryo research; literature on “self-creation”; discussions of procreative ...
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The ethics of creating—or declining to create—people has been addressed in several contexts: debates over abortion and embryo research; literature on “self-creation”; discussions of procreative rights and responsibilities, genetic engineering, and future generations. Here, for the first time, is a sustained, scholarly analysis of all of these issues—a discussion combining breadth of topics with philosophical depth, imagination with current scientific understanding, argumentative rigor with accessibility. The overarching aim of this book is to illuminate a broad array of issues connected with reproduction and genetics, through the lens of moral philosophy. With novel frameworks for understanding prenatal moral status and human identity, and exceptional fairness to those holding different views, the author sheds new light on the ethics of abortion and embryo research, genetic enhancement and prenatal genetic interventions, procreation and parenting, as well as decisions that affect the quality of life of future generations. Along the way, he helpfully introduces personal identity theory and value theory as well as such complex topics as moral status, wrongful life, and the “nonidentity problem.” The results include a subjective account of human well-being, a standard for responsible procreation and parenting, and a theoretical bridge between consequentialist and nonconsequentialist ethical theories. The upshot is a synoptic, mostly liberal vision of the ethics of creating human beings.Less
The ethics of creating—or declining to create—people has been addressed in several contexts: debates over abortion and embryo research; literature on “self-creation”; discussions of procreative rights and responsibilities, genetic engineering, and future generations. Here, for the first time, is a sustained, scholarly analysis of all of these issues—a discussion combining breadth of topics with philosophical depth, imagination with current scientific understanding, argumentative rigor with accessibility. The overarching aim of this book is to illuminate a broad array of issues connected with reproduction and genetics, through the lens of moral philosophy. With novel frameworks for understanding prenatal moral status and human identity, and exceptional fairness to those holding different views, the author sheds new light on the ethics of abortion and embryo research, genetic enhancement and prenatal genetic interventions, procreation and parenting, as well as decisions that affect the quality of life of future generations. Along the way, he helpfully introduces personal identity theory and value theory as well as such complex topics as moral status, wrongful life, and the “nonidentity problem.” The results include a subjective account of human well-being, a standard for responsible procreation and parenting, and a theoretical bridge between consequentialist and nonconsequentialist ethical theories. The upshot is a synoptic, mostly liberal vision of the ethics of creating human beings.
Nigel M. de S. Cameron
David E. Guinn (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195178739
- eISBN:
- 9780199784943
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195178734.003.0015
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
The series of policy positions of the US administration in the opening years of the “biotech century” in respect to cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the patenting of human embryos offers a ...
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The series of policy positions of the US administration in the opening years of the “biotech century” in respect to cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the patenting of human embryos offers a case study in the development of public policy that, though it has been developed in the context of secular argument, reflects distinctive concerns of Christian theology. Through several events (including the development of mammalian cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer, the pursuit by Bill Clinton's administration of a workaround for congressional bans on embryo research, the UN Franco-German cloning initiative, and concerns over intellectual property claims on human nature), the Bush administration has confronted a series of policy decisions affecting the ethical-legal framework for biotechnology. Though there has been little explicitly Christian reflection within the bioethics community, Christians together with other thinkers have recognized that these questions could determine the scope and course of developments in biotechnology.Less
The series of policy positions of the US administration in the opening years of the “biotech century” in respect to cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the patenting of human embryos offers a case study in the development of public policy that, though it has been developed in the context of secular argument, reflects distinctive concerns of Christian theology. Through several events (including the development of mammalian cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer, the pursuit by Bill Clinton's administration of a workaround for congressional bans on embryo research, the UN Franco-German cloning initiative, and concerns over intellectual property claims on human nature), the Bush administration has confronted a series of policy decisions affecting the ethical-legal framework for biotechnology. Though there has been little explicitly Christian reflection within the bioethics community, Christians together with other thinkers have recognized that these questions could determine the scope and course of developments in biotechnology.
Mary Briody Mahowald
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195176179
- eISBN:
- 9780199786558
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195176170.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy
Cases illustrating variables relevant to the following topics are presented: criteria for patient selection, egg “donation” and “surrogacy”, multiple gestations, and disposition of in vitro embryos ...
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Cases illustrating variables relevant to the following topics are presented: criteria for patient selection, egg “donation” and “surrogacy”, multiple gestations, and disposition of in vitro embryos after infertility treatment. For each topic, empirical and theoretical factors relevant to the cases are discussed from an “egalitarian perspective” that imputes privileged status to the standpoint of those who are “nondominant”. Implications of different positions about the moral status of gametes and embryos are also considered.Less
Cases illustrating variables relevant to the following topics are presented: criteria for patient selection, egg “donation” and “surrogacy”, multiple gestations, and disposition of in vitro embryos after infertility treatment. For each topic, empirical and theoretical factors relevant to the cases are discussed from an “egalitarian perspective” that imputes privileged status to the standpoint of those who are “nondominant”. Implications of different positions about the moral status of gametes and embryos are also considered.
Anja J. Karnein
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199782475
- eISBN:
- 9780199933297
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199782475.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Philosophy of Law
In light of new biomedical technologies, such as artificial reproduction, stem cell research, genetic selection and design, the question of what we owe to future persons and unborn life more ...
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In light of new biomedical technologies, such as artificial reproduction, stem cell research, genetic selection and design, the question of what we owe to future persons and unborn life more generally, is as contested as ever. This book offers a new theory by showing how our commitments to persons can help us make sense of our obligations to unborn life. These commitments give us reasons to treat embryos that will develop into persons in anticipation of these persons. By contrast, embryos, which women want to abort or refuse to implant, can be discarded or used for research purposes. How viable is this theory? The book explores its attractiveness for Germany and the U.S.—two countries with very different approaches to valuing unborn life. However, another question raised by modern biomedical technologies concerns the legitimacy of genetically selecting and manipulating embryos. Parents might want to create persons with particular genetic properties. The book maintains that only some uses of these technologies do not violate what respect for persons, including those of the future, requires. Genetic interventions can only be legitimate if used to insure future persons’ independence. With this claim the book’s theory runs counter to liberal eugenic approaches that give parents wide-ranging entitlements to interfere with their future child’s genome, in the names of reproductive freedom, enhancing the species or social justice.Less
In light of new biomedical technologies, such as artificial reproduction, stem cell research, genetic selection and design, the question of what we owe to future persons and unborn life more generally, is as contested as ever. This book offers a new theory by showing how our commitments to persons can help us make sense of our obligations to unborn life. These commitments give us reasons to treat embryos that will develop into persons in anticipation of these persons. By contrast, embryos, which women want to abort or refuse to implant, can be discarded or used for research purposes. How viable is this theory? The book explores its attractiveness for Germany and the U.S.—two countries with very different approaches to valuing unborn life. However, another question raised by modern biomedical technologies concerns the legitimacy of genetically selecting and manipulating embryos. Parents might want to create persons with particular genetic properties. The book maintains that only some uses of these technologies do not violate what respect for persons, including those of the future, requires. Genetic interventions can only be legitimate if used to insure future persons’ independence. With this claim the book’s theory runs counter to liberal eugenic approaches that give parents wide-ranging entitlements to interfere with their future child’s genome, in the names of reproductive freedom, enhancing the species or social justice.
Carolyn E. Tate
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195380040
- eISBN:
- 9780199869077
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195380040.003.0013
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, World Religions
Among the earliest monumental sculptures of the Americas were depictions of the human fetus. Along with representations of the human embryo, sculptures of the fetus were important subjects in the art ...
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Among the earliest monumental sculptures of the Americas were depictions of the human fetus. Along with representations of the human embryo, sculptures of the fetus were important subjects in the art of the Olmec of Mexico, 1400–400 BCE. This chapter explores the crucial roles of these images in the earliest known narrative—a visual one—of the creation of the world and the origins of human beings in Mesoamerica. The monumental fetus sculptures of La Venta, an archaeological site in the State of Tabasco, Mexico, were players in a underworld ball game. In this context, the fetuses, as metaphors for “life force,” battle the chthonic forces that would usurp that precious vitality. Images of fetuses and embryos in ancient Mexico emerge as metaphors for the ineluctable processes of metamorphosis that life entails.Less
Among the earliest monumental sculptures of the Americas were depictions of the human fetus. Along with representations of the human embryo, sculptures of the fetus were important subjects in the art of the Olmec of Mexico, 1400–400 BCE. This chapter explores the crucial roles of these images in the earliest known narrative—a visual one—of the creation of the world and the origins of human beings in Mesoamerica. The monumental fetus sculptures of La Venta, an archaeological site in the State of Tabasco, Mexico, were players in a underworld ball game. In this context, the fetuses, as metaphors for “life force,” battle the chthonic forces that would usurp that precious vitality. Images of fetuses and embryos in ancient Mexico emerge as metaphors for the ineluctable processes of metamorphosis that life entails.
Bonnie Steinbock
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195341621
- eISBN:
- 9780199897131
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195341621.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
This book provides a coherent framework for addressing bioethical issues in which the moral status of embryos and fetuses is relevant. It is based on the “interest view,” which ascribes moral ...
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This book provides a coherent framework for addressing bioethical issues in which the moral status of embryos and fetuses is relevant. It is based on the “interest view,” which ascribes moral standing to beings with interests, and connects the possession of interests with the capacity for conscious awareness or sentience. The theoretical framework is applied to up-to-date ethical and legal topics, including abortion, prenatal torts, wrongful life, the crime of feticide, substance abuse by pregnant women, compulsory cesareans, assisted reproduction, and stem cell research. Along the way, difficult philosophical problems, such as identity and the nonidentity problem are thoroughly explored.Less
This book provides a coherent framework for addressing bioethical issues in which the moral status of embryos and fetuses is relevant. It is based on the “interest view,” which ascribes moral standing to beings with interests, and connects the possession of interests with the capacity for conscious awareness or sentience. The theoretical framework is applied to up-to-date ethical and legal topics, including abortion, prenatal torts, wrongful life, the crime of feticide, substance abuse by pregnant women, compulsory cesareans, assisted reproduction, and stem cell research. Along the way, difficult philosophical problems, such as identity and the nonidentity problem are thoroughly explored.
Adam G. Cooper
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199546626
- eISBN:
- 9780191720208
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199546626.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
It is ironic that the culture which embraced voluntary sterility via contraception is now facing a large-scale crisis of involuntary sterility. Moral objections to contraception consistently identify ...
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It is ironic that the culture which embraced voluntary sterility via contraception is now facing a large-scale crisis of involuntary sterility. Moral objections to contraception consistently identify it as an anti-life kind of act, which, notwithstanding intentions to the contrary, inevitably undermines the marital and unitive character of sexual intercourse. The procreative meaning of marriage is a human good which, like the fertility of the flesh, cannot be wittingly cordoned off without moral and political impact. In this light the link between contraceptive acts and the abortive culture of death becomes more clear, even if philosophers and politicians, though not biologists, argue over the precise beginnings of organic, and therefore personal, human existence.Less
It is ironic that the culture which embraced voluntary sterility via contraception is now facing a large-scale crisis of involuntary sterility. Moral objections to contraception consistently identify it as an anti-life kind of act, which, notwithstanding intentions to the contrary, inevitably undermines the marital and unitive character of sexual intercourse. The procreative meaning of marriage is a human good which, like the fertility of the flesh, cannot be wittingly cordoned off without moral and political impact. In this light the link between contraceptive acts and the abortive culture of death becomes more clear, even if philosophers and politicians, though not biologists, argue over the precise beginnings of organic, and therefore personal, human existence.
Livia Kohn
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195306316
- eISBN:
- 9780199867721
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195306316.003.0013
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Celibacy was not central to Daoism ethos and the basic Confucian conviction that the family represented the basis of Chinese society, although harnessing and refining sexual energy, a basic power of ...
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Celibacy was not central to Daoism ethos and the basic Confucian conviction that the family represented the basis of Chinese society, although harnessing and refining sexual energy, a basic power of life, was essential to Daoism. Inner alchemy schools stressed female superiority in order to harness the primal sexual energy with the intention of transforming it into a spiritual force that created an immortal embryo within one's body. Sexual techniques did not completely eliminate celibacy because it was used as a prelude to enhancing concentration and meditation practices.Less
Celibacy was not central to Daoism ethos and the basic Confucian conviction that the family represented the basis of Chinese society, although harnessing and refining sexual energy, a basic power of life, was essential to Daoism. Inner alchemy schools stressed female superiority in order to harness the primal sexual energy with the intention of transforming it into a spiritual force that created an immortal embryo within one's body. Sexual techniques did not completely eliminate celibacy because it was used as a prelude to enhancing concentration and meditation practices.
Gay Becker
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520224308
- eISBN:
- 9780520925243
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520224308.001.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Medical Anthropology
This book brings together the work of writers from a range of disciplines and cultural traditions to explore the social and political dimensions of sexuality and sexual experience. The chapters ...
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This book brings together the work of writers from a range of disciplines and cultural traditions to explore the social and political dimensions of sexuality and sexual experience. The chapters reconfigure existing notions of gender and sexuality, linking them to deeper understandings of power, resistance, and emancipation around the globe. They map areas that are currently at the cutting edge of social science writing on sexuality, as well as the complex interface between theory and practice. The book highlights the extent to which populations and communities that once were the object of scientific scrutiny have increasingly demanded the right to speak on their own behalf, as subjects of their own sexualities and agents of their own sexual histories.Less
This book brings together the work of writers from a range of disciplines and cultural traditions to explore the social and political dimensions of sexuality and sexual experience. The chapters reconfigure existing notions of gender and sexuality, linking them to deeper understandings of power, resistance, and emancipation around the globe. They map areas that are currently at the cutting edge of social science writing on sexuality, as well as the complex interface between theory and practice. The book highlights the extent to which populations and communities that once were the object of scientific scrutiny have increasingly demanded the right to speak on their own behalf, as subjects of their own sexualities and agents of their own sexual histories.
Alessandro Minelli
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780198566205
- eISBN:
- 9780191713866
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198566205.003.0003
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Molecular phylogenetics places the animals firmly within the clade of the Opisthokonta, with the choanoflagellates as their most likely sister group. Choanoflagellates possess many of those ...
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Molecular phylogenetics places the animals firmly within the clade of the Opisthokonta, with the choanoflagellates as their most likely sister group. Choanoflagellates possess many of those cell-adhesion and cell-cell signalling molecules that are required for multicellularity. These molecules thus largely predate the evolutionary transition from single cells to multicellular organisms. Palaeontological evidence of the earliest stages of metazoan evolution is either lacking or problematic. Late Precambrian fossils include a diversity of macroscopic forms (often known as the vendobionts) whose phylogenetic relationships to modern metazoans are disputed, and a number of recently described embryos from the Chinese Doushantuo deposits, probably corresponding to adults organisms of minute size. Fossil evidence still supports the concept of a quite sudden Cambrian explosion of animal diversity. Molecular estimates of the timing of divergence of the main metazoan lineages mostly point to ages quite than the base of the Cambrian, but those results are not consistent overall.Less
Molecular phylogenetics places the animals firmly within the clade of the Opisthokonta, with the choanoflagellates as their most likely sister group. Choanoflagellates possess many of those cell-adhesion and cell-cell signalling molecules that are required for multicellularity. These molecules thus largely predate the evolutionary transition from single cells to multicellular organisms. Palaeontological evidence of the earliest stages of metazoan evolution is either lacking or problematic. Late Precambrian fossils include a diversity of macroscopic forms (often known as the vendobionts) whose phylogenetic relationships to modern metazoans are disputed, and a number of recently described embryos from the Chinese Doushantuo deposits, probably corresponding to adults organisms of minute size. Fossil evidence still supports the concept of a quite sudden Cambrian explosion of animal diversity. Molecular estimates of the timing of divergence of the main metazoan lineages mostly point to ages quite than the base of the Cambrian, but those results are not consistent overall.
Stephen Wilkinson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199273966
- eISBN:
- 9780191706585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199273966.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This introductory chapter starts by briefly describing three real cases of selective reproduction. It then offers a general account of what selective reproduction is: that it involves choosing ...
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This introductory chapter starts by briefly describing three real cases of selective reproduction. It then offers a general account of what selective reproduction is: that it involves choosing between different possible future people. It also provides an explanation of the book's methodological and theoretical presuppositions, and offers a particular view of philosophical bioethics. This includes an explanation of why the moral status of the embryo is largely irrelevant to the ethics of selective reproduction. Finally, the structure of the whole book is outlined.Less
This introductory chapter starts by briefly describing three real cases of selective reproduction. It then offers a general account of what selective reproduction is: that it involves choosing between different possible future people. It also provides an explanation of the book's methodological and theoretical presuppositions, and offers a particular view of philosophical bioethics. This includes an explanation of why the moral status of the embryo is largely irrelevant to the ethics of selective reproduction. Finally, the structure of the whole book is outlined.
Stephen Wilkinson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199273966
- eISBN:
- 9780191706585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199273966.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter evaluates the claim that selecting saviour siblings involves the wrongful instrumentalisation and/or commodification of children. It argues that such claims are generally confused and ...
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This chapter evaluates the claim that selecting saviour siblings involves the wrongful instrumentalisation and/or commodification of children. It argues that such claims are generally confused and unjustified. On the best available understandings of ‘commodity’ and ‘commodification’, embryo selection does not necessarily involve treating children as commodities, nor is there much reason to believe that there is a contingent connection between embryo selection and the commodification of children. Much the same goes for instrumentalisation and the claim that embryo selection involves treating children as ‘mere means’. Embryo selection may well involve the instrumentalisation of embryos (as opposed to children) and gamete selection may well involve the instrumentalisation of gametes, but this should not be troubling for anyone who does not regard embryos or gametes as persons or ‘ends in themselves’.Less
This chapter evaluates the claim that selecting saviour siblings involves the wrongful instrumentalisation and/or commodification of children. It argues that such claims are generally confused and unjustified. On the best available understandings of ‘commodity’ and ‘commodification’, embryo selection does not necessarily involve treating children as commodities, nor is there much reason to believe that there is a contingent connection between embryo selection and the commodification of children. Much the same goes for instrumentalisation and the claim that embryo selection involves treating children as ‘mere means’. Embryo selection may well involve the instrumentalisation of embryos (as opposed to children) and gamete selection may well involve the instrumentalisation of gametes, but this should not be troubling for anyone who does not regard embryos or gametes as persons or ‘ends in themselves’.
Anja J. Karnein
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199782475
- eISBN:
- 9780199933297
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199782475.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, Philosophy of Law
This chapter explores to what extent the Personhood Dependent Principle (PDP) as it is developed in Chapter One is an attractive principle for a country such as Germany, with strong constitutional ...
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This chapter explores to what extent the Personhood Dependent Principle (PDP) as it is developed in Chapter One is an attractive principle for a country such as Germany, with strong constitutional protections of the embryo. A closer look at the various laws and practices reveals, however, that only some embryos are protected in Germany. The reasons for distinguishing between embryos that are protected and embryos that are not, fail to be convincing. Rather, they express a lack of respect for women and a problematic privileging of traditional family values. Thus, this chapter shows that the Personhood Dependent Principle is both a viable and attractive principle to adopt for law and policy makers as it would help make the Germany position on the embryo’s moral value more coherent.Less
This chapter explores to what extent the Personhood Dependent Principle (PDP) as it is developed in Chapter One is an attractive principle for a country such as Germany, with strong constitutional protections of the embryo. A closer look at the various laws and practices reveals, however, that only some embryos are protected in Germany. The reasons for distinguishing between embryos that are protected and embryos that are not, fail to be convincing. Rather, they express a lack of respect for women and a problematic privileging of traditional family values. Thus, this chapter shows that the Personhood Dependent Principle is both a viable and attractive principle to adopt for law and policy makers as it would help make the Germany position on the embryo’s moral value more coherent.
David DeGrazia
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195389630
- eISBN:
- 9780199949731
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195389630.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
This chapter addresses the question of how we should understand the moral status of the prenatal human being and the attendant ethical issues of abortion and embryo research. The first section ...
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This chapter addresses the question of how we should understand the moral status of the prenatal human being and the attendant ethical issues of abortion and embryo research. The first section defends a framework for understanding prenatal moral status, a framework that supports liberal views about abortion and embryo research. The next section rebuts the three strongest arguments in favor of a pro-life approach. It is argued in the next section, perhaps surprisingly, that one might reasonably doubt the author’s framework. Hence a sort of pluralism regarding prenatal moral status. In view of this stalemate, the discussion is redirected to the level of political philosophy and social policy; a liberal approach to policy is defended. The final section sketches and defends such an approach to abortion and embryo research.Less
This chapter addresses the question of how we should understand the moral status of the prenatal human being and the attendant ethical issues of abortion and embryo research. The first section defends a framework for understanding prenatal moral status, a framework that supports liberal views about abortion and embryo research. The next section rebuts the three strongest arguments in favor of a pro-life approach. It is argued in the next section, perhaps surprisingly, that one might reasonably doubt the author’s framework. Hence a sort of pluralism regarding prenatal moral status. In view of this stalemate, the discussion is redirected to the level of political philosophy and social policy; a liberal approach to policy is defended. The final section sketches and defends such an approach to abortion and embryo research.
Thomas Banchoff
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195307221
- eISBN:
- 9780199785513
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195307221.003.0017
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter has three sections. The first section examines a methodological problem — how to describe and compare the evolution of national controversies. The second compares the evolution of embryo ...
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This chapter has three sections. The first section examines a methodological problem — how to describe and compare the evolution of national controversies. The second compares the evolution of embryo politics in the United States and France in the two decades before the stem cell and cloning breakthroughs. It traces the emergence of powerful religious (in the United States) and secular (in France) coalitions opposed to research. The third section shows how the promise of stem cell and cloning research undermined these coalitions and generated a more open debate marked by more diverse religious and secular voices in favor of liberal research regimes.Less
This chapter has three sections. The first section examines a methodological problem — how to describe and compare the evolution of national controversies. The second compares the evolution of embryo politics in the United States and France in the two decades before the stem cell and cloning breakthroughs. It traces the emergence of powerful religious (in the United States) and secular (in France) coalitions opposed to research. The third section shows how the promise of stem cell and cloning research undermined these coalitions and generated a more open debate marked by more diverse religious and secular voices in favor of liberal research regimes.
J. Benjamin Hurlbut
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780231179546
- eISBN:
- 9780231542913
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231179546.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Bioethics
Human embryo research touches upon strongly felt moral convictions, and it raises such deep questions about the promise and perils of scientific progress that debate over its development has become a ...
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Human embryo research touches upon strongly felt moral convictions, and it raises such deep questions about the promise and perils of scientific progress that debate over its development has become a moral and political imperative. From in vitro fertilization to embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and gene editing, Americans have repeatedly struggled with how to define the moral status of the human embryo, whether to limit its experimental uses, and how to contend with sharply divided public moral perspectives on governing science. Experiments in Democracy presents a history of American debates over human embryo research from the late 1960s to the present, exploring their crucial role in shaping norms, practices, and institutions of deliberation governing the ethical challenges of modern bioscience. J. Benjamin Hurlbut details how scientists, bioethicists, policymakers, and other public figures have attempted to answer a question of great consequence: how should the public reason about aspects of science and technology that effect fundamental dimensions of human life? Through a study of one of the most significant science policy controversies in the history of the United States, Experiments in Democracy paints a portrait of the complex relationship between science and democracy, and of U.S. society's evolving approaches to evaluating and governing science's most challenging breakthroughs.Less
Human embryo research touches upon strongly felt moral convictions, and it raises such deep questions about the promise and perils of scientific progress that debate over its development has become a moral and political imperative. From in vitro fertilization to embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and gene editing, Americans have repeatedly struggled with how to define the moral status of the human embryo, whether to limit its experimental uses, and how to contend with sharply divided public moral perspectives on governing science. Experiments in Democracy presents a history of American debates over human embryo research from the late 1960s to the present, exploring their crucial role in shaping norms, practices, and institutions of deliberation governing the ethical challenges of modern bioscience. J. Benjamin Hurlbut details how scientists, bioethicists, policymakers, and other public figures have attempted to answer a question of great consequence: how should the public reason about aspects of science and technology that effect fundamental dimensions of human life? Through a study of one of the most significant science policy controversies in the history of the United States, Experiments in Democracy paints a portrait of the complex relationship between science and democracy, and of U.S. society's evolving approaches to evaluating and governing science's most challenging breakthroughs.
Thomas Banchoff
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801449574
- eISBN:
- 9780801460593
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801449574.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Public Policy
Since the first fertilization of a human egg in the laboratory in 1968, scientific and technological breakthroughs have raised ethical dilemmas and generated policy controversies on both sides of the ...
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Since the first fertilization of a human egg in the laboratory in 1968, scientific and technological breakthroughs have raised ethical dilemmas and generated policy controversies on both sides of the Atlantic. Embryo, stem cell, and cloning research have provoked impassioned political debate about their religious, moral, legal, and practical implications. National governments make rules that govern the creation, destruction, and use of embryos in the laboratory—but they do so in profoundly different ways. This book provides a comprehensive overview of political struggles about embryo research during four decades in four countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. It demonstrates the impact of particular national histories and institutions on very different patterns of national governance. Over time, the book argues, partisan debate and religious–secular polarization have come to overshadow ethical reflection and political deliberation on the moral status of the embryo and the promise of biomedical research. Only by recovering a robust and public ethical debate will we be able to govern revolutionary life-science technologies effectively and responsibly into the future.Less
Since the first fertilization of a human egg in the laboratory in 1968, scientific and technological breakthroughs have raised ethical dilemmas and generated policy controversies on both sides of the Atlantic. Embryo, stem cell, and cloning research have provoked impassioned political debate about their religious, moral, legal, and practical implications. National governments make rules that govern the creation, destruction, and use of embryos in the laboratory—but they do so in profoundly different ways. This book provides a comprehensive overview of political struggles about embryo research during four decades in four countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. It demonstrates the impact of particular national histories and institutions on very different patterns of national governance. Over time, the book argues, partisan debate and religious–secular polarization have come to overshadow ethical reflection and political deliberation on the moral status of the embryo and the promise of biomedical research. Only by recovering a robust and public ethical debate will we be able to govern revolutionary life-science technologies effectively and responsibly into the future.
Ronald Cole-Turner (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262033732
- eISBN:
- 9780262270632
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262033732.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Bioethics
We are approaching the day when advances in biotechnology will allow parents to “design” a baby with the traits they want. The continuing debate over the possibilities of genetic engineering has been ...
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We are approaching the day when advances in biotechnology will allow parents to “design” a baby with the traits they want. The continuing debate over the possibilities of genetic engineering has been spirited, but so far largely confined to the realms of bioethics and public policy. This book approaches the question in religious terms, discussing human germline modification (the genetic modification of the embryonic cells that become the eggs or sperm of a developing organism), from the viewpoints of traditional Christian and Jewish teaching. The contributors, religious scholars and writers, call our attention not to technology but to humanity, reflecting upon the meaning and destiny of human life in a technological age. Many of these scholars argue that religious teaching can support human germline modification implemented for therapeutic reasons, although they offer certain moral conditions which must be met. The contributions offer a variety of opinions, including a discussion of Judaism’s traditional presumption in favor of medicine, an argument that Catholic doctrine could accept germline modification if it is therapeutic for the embryo, an argument implying that “traditional” Christian teaching permits germline modification whether for therapy or enhancement, and a “classical” Protestant view that germline modification should be categorically opposed.Less
We are approaching the day when advances in biotechnology will allow parents to “design” a baby with the traits they want. The continuing debate over the possibilities of genetic engineering has been spirited, but so far largely confined to the realms of bioethics and public policy. This book approaches the question in religious terms, discussing human germline modification (the genetic modification of the embryonic cells that become the eggs or sperm of a developing organism), from the viewpoints of traditional Christian and Jewish teaching. The contributors, religious scholars and writers, call our attention not to technology but to humanity, reflecting upon the meaning and destiny of human life in a technological age. Many of these scholars argue that religious teaching can support human germline modification implemented for therapeutic reasons, although they offer certain moral conditions which must be met. The contributions offer a variety of opinions, including a discussion of Judaism’s traditional presumption in favor of medicine, an argument that Catholic doctrine could accept germline modification if it is therapeutic for the embryo, an argument implying that “traditional” Christian teaching permits germline modification whether for therapy or enhancement, and a “classical” Protestant view that germline modification should be categorically opposed.
Lynn M. Morgan
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520260436
- eISBN:
- 9780520944725
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520260436.003.0002
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Medical Anthropology
This chapter introduces the world of Franklin Mall, the anatomist and avid human embryo collector without whom the embryo collection might not have existed. Mall's career spanned a transitional ...
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This chapter introduces the world of Franklin Mall, the anatomist and avid human embryo collector without whom the embryo collection might not have existed. Mall's career spanned a transitional period in the history of anatomy, from an old style concerned with descriptive morphology to a new style focused on experimentation and heredity, and Mall was both a traditionalist and an innovator. He used the old comparative and descriptive methods to study a new, relatively uncharted object: the human embryo. He considered human embryology the last uncharted frontier of human gross anatomy, and in 1913 he convinced the Carnegie Institution of Washington to set up a department of embryology. As its first director, he created a far-flung culture of embryo collecting, cultivating a network of doctors who eagerly saved specimens for science.Less
This chapter introduces the world of Franklin Mall, the anatomist and avid human embryo collector without whom the embryo collection might not have existed. Mall's career spanned a transitional period in the history of anatomy, from an old style concerned with descriptive morphology to a new style focused on experimentation and heredity, and Mall was both a traditionalist and an innovator. He used the old comparative and descriptive methods to study a new, relatively uncharted object: the human embryo. He considered human embryology the last uncharted frontier of human gross anatomy, and in 1913 he convinced the Carnegie Institution of Washington to set up a department of embryology. As its first director, he created a far-flung culture of embryo collecting, cultivating a network of doctors who eagerly saved specimens for science.
Lynn M. Morgan
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520260436
- eISBN:
- 9780520944725
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520260436.003.0004
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Medical Anthropology
This chapter moves inside the embryological laboratories. It traces the stories of two embryo specimens produced there: the first was a model of a so-called “embryo” brain (although it was probably ...
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This chapter moves inside the embryological laboratories. It traces the stories of two embryo specimens produced there: the first was a model of a so-called “embryo” brain (although it was probably that of a fetus or infant) made by Gertrude Stein in 1901 when she was a young medical student at Johns Hopkins. The second specimen was a young human embryo, collected in 1914, that later became famous as Carnegie no. 836.Less
This chapter moves inside the embryological laboratories. It traces the stories of two embryo specimens produced there: the first was a model of a so-called “embryo” brain (although it was probably that of a fetus or infant) made by Gertrude Stein in 1901 when she was a young medical student at Johns Hopkins. The second specimen was a young human embryo, collected in 1914, that later became famous as Carnegie no. 836.
