The Morality of using left over in vitro fertilized embryos for stem cell research, proven by John S

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The Morality of using left over in vitro
fertilized embryos for stem cell research, proven
by John Stuart Mill

• Created By Stephanie Lake

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Topic

• The intent of my research paper was to argue that
  using left over in vitro fertilized embryos as a
  source for stem cell research is moral according
  to ethical theorist John Stuart Mill.

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What is In Vitro Fertilization?

• First of all, in vitro fertilization is a process
  used for conception of a human embryo outside of
  the mothers body.
• This process is used to help people bear a child
  who are otherwise incapable of doing so due to
  either damaged fallopian tubes or low sperm
  count, among other things.
• Overall this process has resulted in the birth of
  more than a million babies.

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What are stem cells?

• Stem cells are cells found in multicellular
  organisms, they are found in embryos and various
  parts of the body. They are capable of evolving
  into many different cell types. The human
  embryonic stem cells have the most plasticity and
  potential.
• These cells have the potential to cure many
  diseases including Alzheimer's disease,
  Parkinsons disease, and spinal cord trauma.
  They also have the ability to help scientists
  figure out what causes cancer, and possibly to
  create organs in such cases of someone having
  heart failure and needing a new heart.
• Stem cell therapy attempts to treat a disease by
  introducing whole human cells into the body,
  which it is hoped will restore the patients
  health.
• The most popular source for them is left over in
  vitro fertilized embryo lines because they
  provide the most potential for use.
• Stem cells have already shown potential through
  rodent experiments but scientists need more human
  sources to work with.

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Ultimately

• Ultimately there tends to be an excess of in
  vitro fertilized embryos which are not used.
• When this happens people have four options. They
  can destroy them, donate them to another couple,
  donate them to research, or pay tons of money to
  keep them stored for up to twenty years or so.
• Overall more than half the people end up having
  theirs destroyed, and ultimately these embryos
  cannot be kept forever and will end up decaying
  and not be able to be used for anything.
• Donating to other couples is usually done
  selectively with people only wanting specific
  embryos, so there is still a big excess here.
• For every embryo that is donated to others, more
  than 100 are discarded.
• Currently more than 400,000 embryos are frozen
  in fertility clinics, and most will eventually be
  discarded.

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According to Mill

• Ultimately through stem cell research, yes, these
  embryos would be destroyed, but they would not
  have been able to be kept forever anyway, so they
  could at least be put to good use in research
  that could help someone through medical therapies
  and possibly cure disease.
• Therefore the use of these in research is for the
  greater good and happiness of everyone which is
  what ethical theorist John Stuart Mill is
  concerned with.

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John Stuart Mills teological theories

• John Stuart Mills teological theories are
  centered on the fact that the end results justify
  the action. His theories are consequential and
  concerned about the results and aftermath.
• Therefore according to Mill the use of these left
  over frozen embryos that would otherwise be
  destroyed, and decay, ought to be used to help
  people through various medical therapies, and the
  use of them in research could help further our
  scientific understanding and possibly lead to
  cures for cancer which justifies the action
  itself.

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Philosophy is concerned with matters of everyday
life

• John Stuart Mill was focused on finding a concept
  of fairness and believed philosophy is concerned
  with matters of everyday life.
• Cancer is such a common thing in the world and is
  therefore a concern with matters of everyday life
  and its potential to help others would create the
  most fairness for everyone.
• Mill also advocates the idea of democracy being
  used to create fairness and the law being used to
  promote the general welfare of the citizens which
  can only work if the masses are well educated.
• The use of these left over embryos would be
  promoting the general welfare of the citizens,
  and if more people were educated on this topic
  they would be better able to make good, fair,
  decisions.

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Principle of utility and intrinsically desirable
happiness

• John Stuart Mill promotes and defends the
  principle of utility which states, that given a
  choice in social policies we must choose the one
  that has the best overall results for everyone
  concerned. An existence as far as possible from
  pain and as rich as possible in enjoyments.
• He suggests that happiness is the only
  intrinsically desirable thing. Sometimes people
  value things as parts as happiness. That is we
  value virtue, freedom, etc., as things that make
  us happy by their mere possession. This is all
  proof we can give that happiness is our only
  ultimate end it must rely on introspection and
  on careful and honest examination of our feelings
  and motives.
• The ability to look into this type of research
  which has already shown progress, through using
  these left over cell lines could be used as a
  good thing to help people with cancer and other
  medical pathologies to live lives more rich in
  pleasure, and farthest from pain. It would be
  creating true happiness, which is humans only
  intrinsically desirable thing.

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Strong utilitarian conscious and moral progress

• Mill has a concept called the strong utilitarian
  conscience which are strong feelings of
  obligation to the general happiness. This is
  what motivates us to act in ways approved by the
  principle of utility. These can possibly develop
  out of the natural desire people have to be in
  unity with fellow creatures
• This desire enables us to care what happens to
  them and to perceive our interests as linked to
  theirs.
• Our attention to the public well-being usually
  needs to extend only so far as is required to
  know that we arent violating the rights of
  others. We do not need to attend constantly to
  the general happiness, but Mill says that it is a
  sign of moral progress when the happiness of
  others, including the happiness of those we dont
  know becomes important to us.
• Therefore this case of using left over embryos as
  an advantage to help others is showing moral
  progress, because the happiness of others is
  becoming important to others.

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Profound Pleasures

• John Stuart Mill also proposes that there are two
  types of pleasures according to an Epicurean view
  on life which is that life has no higher end than
  pleasure.
• Higher profound pleasures are mentally satisfying
  and complex like love and simple pleasures are
  quick and easy like lust.
• Giving people with cancer and other pathologies
  the opportunity to use these left over embryos
  that are on the path of destruction, to help them
  possibly bypass an inevitable death is helping
  them to be able to still have profound pleasures
  in life.
• Higher pleasure should be taken in kind to lower
  pleasures. This is all proof we can give that
  happiness is our only ultimate end.
• Also more happiness is the end result of what
  these left over embryos could create.
  Furthermore, it is all of the different
  individuals happiness which is unique and
  special to them that make up the happiness of the
  whole world, so ultimately there would be the
  highest amount of good in the world.

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Opposing view point John Rawls

• According to Rawls some societal practices and
  institutions can provoke envy and resentment. He
  is concerned with equality and a fair
  distribution of advantages.
• He advocated the original position that in
  summary says one needs to put parties at an equal
  level without knowing their positions or things
  that could make them biased in order to select
  principles of justice.
• His principle justice as fairness has two parts.
  The first one holds that society must assure
  each citizen an equal claim to a fully adequate
  scheme of equal basic rights and liberties, which
  scheme is compatible with the same scheme for
  all.
• Part one of the second says that social
  structures that shape this distribution must
  satisfy the requirements of fair equality of
  opportunity.
• Part two of the second is the difference
  principle which holds that social economic
  equalities are to be to the greatest benefit of
  the least advantaged members of society.

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Creation of envy and resentment

• Therefore according to Rawls an opposing argument
  would be that the use of these embryonic stem
  cells could possibly become a money issue and get
  out of hand in which only the people with the
  most money can get their hands on it. Therefore
  it would no be an equally distributed advantage,
  there would be no fair opportunity, and this
  would not be benefiting the least advantaged
  members of society but the ones with the most
  money.
• Therefore this practice could create envy and
  resentment and create social inequalities.

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Other opposing arguments

• Other arguments include scientists might not do
  this research to help others but for their own
  means and advantages.
• Others argue it could lead to the devaluation of
  human life in scientists hand trying to figure
  out cloning. Furthermore, people argue that
  human embryos are life forms and the potential to
  create life and through stem cell research are
  destroyed.

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Counter to the counter

• The argument through John Stuart Mill is much
  stronger than all of the counter arguments.
• Overall the benefit and potential for good that
  these left over embryos could have in research
  and disease treatment overrides any counter
  arguments and negatives that may come along with
  it. No matter what there are always going to be
  people in the world who abuse power, that is why
  we need regulations. This process could possibly
  prolong lifes and create more happiness in
  individuals who would otherwise face pain and
  death through disease and it is the individuals
  happiness who make up the goodness of the whole
  world. It is therefore to the best advantage of
  the general good and happiness to use this
  potential.
• These embryos of excess are ultimately going to
  decay and therefore should be able to be used for
  at least some good. (especially if the donors
  consent to it.)

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Conclusion

• In conclusion the use of left over in vitro
  fertilized embryo lines as a source for stem cell
  research is moral according to Mill.
• Teologically the possible curing of diseases and
  furthering of scientific knowledge justifies the
  actions worth and correctedness. The results of
  this action are good and therefore moral.
• Therefore the use of these in research is for the
  greater good and happiness of everyone.
• This issue is concerned with matters of everyday
  life and would promote the general welfare of the
  citizens.
• This abides by the principle of utility because
  it can be used as a good thing to help people
  live lives more rich in pleasure and farthest
  from pain.
• Using these as an advantage to help others is
  showing moral progress.
• The individuals happiness which this would
  create composes the overall happiness in the
  world.
• It is still enabling people to have profound
  pleasures in life.
• The benefit to the general happiness overrides
  the controversy that it creates.
• It is an advantage that ought to be put to use
  due to its potential. Scientists have been
  working for many years to find the cures to these
  types of diseases.