Consistent Ethic of Life (Unit 3)

Question 1

What are the principles and practical concerns in bioethics?

Answer 1

When analyzing bioethical issues, consider the practical impacts and the moral principles at stake in taking (or not taking) action on the issue
- Underlying principles can drastically change what is moral (can do something practically good, but not ethically good)
- Ex. World hunger could be fixed by Cannibalism but that would not be ethical

Question 1

Catholic church’s stance to life?

Answer 1

Promotion and preservation of life is the single most important bioethical principle.
- Any action that destroys life/artificially interferes with the natural creation or preservation of life is morally problematic
- Ends don’t justify means, even if it is meant to be a good thing
- Nature always wins, always an effect

Question 2

Catholic church’s stance on euthanasia?

Answer 2

Opposed because it prematurely end a human life (prior to the natural end of life)

Question 3

Catholic church’s stance to abortion?

Answer 3

Opposes Abortion because it destroys a human life

Question 4

Catholic church’s stance to IVF?

Answer 4

Opposes IVF because it requires the destruction of embryos (i.e. Viable human lives)
- Problematic because it interferes with the natural process (natural law) through human lives are meant to be created
- Fertilizing an egg in a lab creates an embryo, then putting it into a womb

Question 5

Catholic church’s stance to embryonic stem cell research?

Answer 5

Opposed because it involves the destruction of Human life (in the form of viable human embryos).
- Involves experimentation, manipulation and commodification (i.e. human life treated as an object/commodify) of human life (again in the form of viable embryos)
- Embryonic stem cells and Basil stem cells (collected from grown humans) are used for research purposes.
- Every embryo is unique

Question 6

Catholic church’s stance on artificial conception?

Answer 6

Opposed to the use of artificial contraception because (among other things) it creates an artificial barrier (this pushes back on natural Law) to the creation of new human life.
- Birth control can be used for other means