Ethical
Issues
Social
Impact
The main issue with stem cells is that it splits us between two ethical decisions: the ability to alleviate or remedy suffering, or the ability to respect the value of human life. Due to the nature of embryonic stem cells, it is impossible to fulfill both moral/ethical duties.
Impact
In order to obtain an embryonic stem cell, one must harvest it from a human embryo, which many argue is the destruction of potential human life. One of the main arguments in this debate is whether or not embryo’s have the same rights as fully-grown human beings. Many argue that “life” does not begin until conception, while others believe that true “life” does not begin until actual separation from the womb. As it stands, the same moral issues and qualms about abortion can also be applied to the debate over stem cells.
The continued research and development of stem cell treatment has only worsened the tensions between pro-life and pro-choice groups. Pro-life activists believe that destroying the blastocyst of a human embryo in order to heal another is inherently immoral, while those who are pro-choice believe that it is more advantageous to heal someone who is sick, rather than the possibility of another person being born with another disability or disease that will go untreated without the advent of stem cells.
Stem cells have opened a gateway to treating many of the diseases and disorders, as well as injuries and disabilities, that were either untreatable or previously inefficiently treated. However, this discovery has also sparked a fiery debate on its use, and ethical/moral principles that must be taken into consideration. While stem cells are a great boon to the health and lifespan of our citizens, the people must decide on whether or not the life of one is more important than then the potential life of another before any real decision is made on the future of stem cell research.
