6.1 Medical Ethics (PERSONHOOD AND EMBRYOS)

Question 1

Sanctity of life Argument

Answer 1

The idea that all life is sacred and has a God given purpose

Question 2

Quality of life Argument

Answer 2

The idea that the overall wellbeing of a person is a significant factor in making medical or life-or-death decisions

Question 3

PGD - Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis - This is a form of IVF where scientists examine embryos for genetic disorders like cancer or Parkinson’s, destroy any that test positive and implant back into the womb any that are negative for these disorders

Answer 3

This is a form of IVF where scientists examine embryos for genetic disorders like cancer or Parkinson’s, destroy any that test positive and implant back into the womb any that are negative for these disorders

Question 4

Personhood

Answer 4

The idea of when a person becomes a viable person. Referring to someone with personality, self-awareness, the ability to use language, a network of beliefs, a consciousness of its own experiences, rationality at so onn.

Question 5

Peter Singer Quote

Answer 5

The notion that human life is sacred just because it is human life is medieval thinking

Question 6

Challanges with defining ‘personhood’

Answer 6

• Morally wrong to kill a person but not a non-person?
• Sensible to argue that a dead body is an ‘ex-person’ but what about someone with brainstem death who has no possibility of regaining consciousness or a person with dementia?
• When the personality we once knew is no longer present, the person in question becomes a diminished person?
• Abortion is morally allowable if we argue a foetus is no more than a potential person.

Question 6

Joseph Fletcher on personhood

Answer 6

Identified personhood as ‘awareness’, having a sense of the past & future.

Question 7

Sanctity of life vs quality of life

Answer 7

• MODERN LIBERAL SOCIETIES - a focus on quality of life over the traditional, often religious sanctity of life argument.
• While the sanctity of life argument states that human life is sacred, making any form of killing wrong, quality of life arguments seek to show that in certain circumstances, it is better to end a life.
• Both arguments facing problems in the light of medical advances. People are now able to overcome disabilities that would have previously caused death. Should that life be preserved?

Question 8

Singer on Sanctity of Life

Answer 8

• Rejects sanctity of life arguments as absolutist and dependant on an outdated Christian view of ethics.
• Rejects the idea humans are a ‘special’ form of life. He defines the idea of sanctity ‘to be no more than saying that human life has some special value, a value quite distinct from the value of the lives of other living things.

Question 9

Jonathan Glover on bioethics 1

Answer 9

• Argues that a universal moral system is impossible to achieve.
• While most agree that torture and killing are wrong, and the sanctity of life argument is still widely upheld, we can make exceptions when it comes to turning off life-support machines/aborting.

Question 10

Jonathan Glover on bioethics 2

Answer 10

• Pro-life defence in the case of abortion and euthanasia is untenable,
• Modern science can keep alive human beings who would normally have died, but in some instances their quality of life is poor and their suffering is unjustifiable.
• Glover accepts that broad legislation on euthanasia is difficult because not all cases are the same.
• He stresses the importance of frank discussions between doctors and patients, careful assessment of each case.

Question 11

Development of human embryo

Answer 11

conception to 14 days: pre-embryo
14 days to 8 weeks: embryo
8 weeks onwards: foetus

Question 12

Religious and sociobiological factors on embryos

Answer 12

• Dualistic view (body and soul are seperate). Religious believers maintain the soul is implanted by God and ensoulment takes place from conception.
• Relational aspect - human being becomes a person when accepted as such by others. Personhood then becomes a matter of social convention.

Question 13

Embryo research

Answer 13

Embryo contains STEM CELLS (building blocks of tissues and organs).
Embryotic stem cells are derived from the blastula, an early embryo of less than 100 cells, which cannot survive very long unless implanted into a woman’s womb.

Question 14

UK law on Embryotic research

Answer 14

Research, experimentation and testing of embryos can only take place up to 14 days after fertilisation as after that time an individual person starts to develop.

Question 15

Weakness of embryo research and IVF

Answer 15

• Destroying a blastula in order to harvest its cells is essentially destroying an unborn child.
• The embryo has moral status from the point of fertilisation (potential person).
• An embryo has none of the psychological, emotional or physical properties we associate with personhood, unless planted into a womb the blastula has no chance of survival and growth.
• In IVF, more embryos are created than implanted, it is controversial the rest may be destroyed after a certain period of time.

Question 16

Strengths of creating embryos

Answer 16

• Stem cell research is a valuable tool in the search for cures for genetic illnesses and medical conditions e.g. Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s
• Couples who have fertility problems may be helped to conceive using IVF.
• Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis allows an embryo to be checked for conditions such as down syndrome, determine the sex of the embryo or whether the child might eventually be able to help treat a sick sibling.

Question 17

Religious views on embryos research

Answer 17

Natural law theory (Catholic thinking) rejects embryonic stem cell research BECAUSE it involves procreation outside of marriage, a loving sexual relationship and becuase human beings ought to be created in the womb - any other way undermines the stability of society.

Catholic tradition the donation of organs and tissue is encouraged, so too is the use of stem cells as long as there use does not involve destruction of embryonic human life.

The decision to donate lies with the parents.

Significant issues for Catholics in current debates about the banking and donation of umbilical cord blood. Should it be stored for future use or donated to a cord blood bank?