Module III: The Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding the Use of Embryonic Stem Cells

In his essay, “Embryo Ethics” from Daedalus (2008), Robert P. George argues that no matter what arguments, both scientific or simple logic, are used to defend the use of embryonic stem cells for research or transplantation, there is simply nothing that can truly support their use. The author supports his position by presenting all the arguments of prominent individuals against the use of embryonic stem cells, followed by arguments used by those who support the destruction of stem cell, to which he gives his own counterarguments to dispute the claims; not once in his essay does he use religion or theology to argue against the use of embryonic stem cells. The author’s purpose is not to restate those arguments against the use of stem cells, as he only spends a short amount of time in this area, but rather chooses to repeat those arguments supporting the use of stem cells which are based on science and logic and proceeding to use the same principles used to develop those arguments to refute them. Considering the scientific knowledge required to understand the subject and its complexities and the many individuals which may not be familiar with them, George does a good job of both simplifying certain points and using analogies and common sense logic in order to allow readers without a scientific background to understand the arguments and to gather enough information to develop their own opinions.
Another essay questioning the arguments supporting the use of embryonic stem cells, “Finding ethically acceptable solutions for therapeutic human stem cell research” from the journal Ethics and Medicine (2008), John R. Meyer instead argues that the method developed by Karen Devolder which she proposes avoids the ethical issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells. The author supports his argument by arguing that all embryos, regardless of level of development, are true human beings and should be treated with the respect given to adult human beings by disputing the claims of Devolder and other researchers that both ANTities and OARities are not organisms capable of fully developing; indeed, Meyer argues that the act of creating these entities itself is a destruction of a developing human embryo and is therefore morally and ethically wrong. Meyer’s essay has two purposes: the first is to prove that Devolder’s alternative approach to the use of embryonic stem cells is not ethically sound as she claims and the second is to argue for the expansion of adult stem cell research, which avoids the ethical dilemmas of destroying embryos for research purposes. Unlike the first article, Meyer’s argument requires a much larger understanding of embryological processes as well as genetics and may be difficult for readers without a substantial amount of biological knowledge to understand; it is apparent that the article is intended for readers of the scientific community.
While the first two articles discussed the ethics of using embryonic stem cells, the last article discusses the ethics of embryonic stem cell transplantation without developing guidelines for their use in order to ensure patient safety. “Clinical trials for stem cell transplantation: guidelines for scientific and ethical review” written by Bernard Lo et al and published in Clinical Trials (2008) concludes that clinical trials are necessary prior to the use of embryonic stem cells for transplantation purposes due to the risks that come along with the procedure. The authors come to this conclusion by discussing various studies regarding the use of embryonic stem cells for transplantation and the potential risks that come along with their use and later determining what steps can be taken in order to minimize these risks as to ensure that patient safety is maintained. The authors’ purpose is to develop guidelines for clinical trials that will allow researchers a better idea of the risks of embryonic stem cell transplantation as well as guidelines to make sure the benefits of the trials themselves are important enough to risk the health of their participants. As discussed, the purpose of the article is to establish set guidelines for embryonic stem cell transplantation and the article is indeed written for and intended to be read by members of the scientific community associated with the use of embryonic stem cells for transplantation purposes.