Medical Ethics: Stem Cell Technology

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the controversial subject of stem cell technology, explaining that at present the only types of stem cell derivative therapies that are eligible for federal funding are those for which adult stem cells are useful. The writer presents arguments in favor of stem cell research and explains how the controversy surrounding the ethics of stem cell research transcends the field of medicine, as they raise legal issues at the core of the US constitutional system.

From the Paper:

"The controversy surrounding the ethics of stem cell research transcend the field of medicine, because they raise legal issues at the core of our constitutional system. Secular medical ethicists define life much differently than traditional religious philosophers, in that scientists employ objective criteria like the development of neural structure, circulation, brainwaves, and the concept of consciousness or sentience. Religious philosophers object to any research use human tissue from the moment it is fertilized, at which point they consider it exploitation of a human being who is fully entitled to human rights and to the protection of law (Sagan, 1997).
"The imposition of religious definitions into secular laws violates the fundamental constitutional principle of separation of Church and State upon which the United States was originally founded. At present, federal funding restrictions passed by the Bush administration severely constrains the field of embryonic stem cell research, forcing some patients to seek derivative therapies abroad, where valuable stem cell research continues without governmental interference."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Abrams, N., Buckner, M (1983) Medical Ethics: A Clinical Textbook and Reference for the Health Care Professions. Chicago University Press: Chicago
• Kaku, M. (1999) Visions: How Science Will Revolutionize the 21st Century and Beyond. Oxford University Press: New York
• Sagan, C. (1997) Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium. Random House: New York

More papers on Medical Ethics: Stem Cell Technology:

• Research Paper # 92212 : "Stem Cell Research"
• Argumentative Essay # 8106 : "Stem Cell Research"
• Analytical Essay # 68452 : "Stem Cell Research"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: