Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ethics

Embryonic stem cell research is a very controversial topic, and people have differing opinions on the morality of pursuing it. It is a complicated, time-consuming process, and there are many benefits and harms that can come from it. Utilitarianism is a moral principle used to decide whether an action is right or wrong. On the basis of utilitarianism, embryonic stem cell research is morally justified.

Utilitarianism is a philosophical position used to determine how morally right an action is. According to utilitarianism, goodness is connected to usefulness in producing positive states, such as happiness, pleasure and convenience (Morris, 2011). Utilitarianism sees goodness and righteousness as tied to human flourishing, and so the most morally

The basic ethical dilemma behind embryonic stem cell research is a decision between two moral principles: preventing and alleviating suffering, and respecting the value of human embryonic life (Rickard, 2002). Researching embryonic stem cells has the potential to lead to new information on aspects of embryonic ageing, the causes of early pregnancy loss, and other aspects of early human development, as well as helping identify new drugs and the potentially toxic effects of drugs on early embryos (Wert & Mummery, 2003). Also, research into embryonic stem cells can help scientists understand the causes of diseases, and according to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (2016), “in theory, there’s no limit to the types of diseases that could be treated with stem cell research”. However, the most important benefit of embryonic stem cell research, especially with the world’s ageing population, is transplantation medicine. Today, organs and tissues are donated to transplant patients, however, the need for transplants far outweighs the supply. Embryonic stem cell research offers the possibility of having a renewable source of replacement cells by growing transplants in a laboratory (National Institutes of Health: U.S Department of Health & Human Services, 2015). Examples of such transplants include replacement neurons for brain cells that have been damaged by spinal cord injury,

While the potential benefits are plentiful, the only harm to come out of embryonic stem cell research is the destruction of human embryos. In Australia, the embryos used for research are all spare IVF embryos that have been donated and would otherwise have been discarded, as embryos created through IVF will expire and die if they are not transferred to a mother (Stem Cells Australia, n.d.). Under some philosophical beliefs, actively destroying an embryo by using it for research is more morally wrong than letting it die naturally by expiring. However, under utilitarianism, they are both just as morally wrong as each other, as they end in the same result – a destroyed embryo. Therefore, if the embryos used in embryonic stem cell research are donated spare IVF embryos, utilitarianism dictates that there are no real harms done as the embryos would have expired anyway, so embryonic stem cell research is fully supported by utilitarianism. However, if the embryos used are not ones that are left over from IVF, people are once again forced to choose between two moral principles: the preservation of embryonic life or the alleviation of pain and suffering. If embryonic stem cell research is pursued, more people will be helped than embryos destroyed, as the harms done are finite while the potential benefits are infinite. Therefore, embryonic stem cell