A Defense of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1204 I. SOME DEFINITIONS AND NOMENCLATURE.............................................................. 1207 A. INITIAL STAGES OF EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT AND EMBRYONIC SOURCES FOR STEM CELLS ......................................................................................... 1208 B. OTHER SOURCES OF STEM CELLS ........................................................... 1209 II. THE SCIENCE AND METHODS OF EMBRYO PRODUCTION AND STEM CELL HARVESTING .............................................................................................................. 1212 A. CREATION OF EMBRYOS IN A LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT: THE IVF PROCESS ..................................................................................................... 1212 B. THE FATE OF LABORATORY-CREATED EMBRYOS ................................... 1213 C. HARVESTING THE STEM CELLS FROM EMBRYOS ..................................... 1215 III. FIRST PRINCIPLES: THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE AND THE RIGHT TO CREATE EMBRYOS IN VITRO .................................................................................................... 1218 A. THE RIGHT TO PROCREATE .................................................................... 1218 B. THE RIGHT TO EFFECTIVE IVF TREATMENT ........................................... 1220 IV. TERMINATING LIFE-SUPPORTING EXTRAORDINARY MEDICAL TREATMENT ....... 1222 A. MORALITY OF REFUSAL OF LIFE-SUPPORTING TREATMENT BY A COMPETENT ADULT .................................................................................... 1222 B. SUBSTITUTED CONSENT: WHO SPEAKS FOR AN INCOMPETENT INDIVIDUAL? ... 1226 C. FROZEN EMBRYOS AS CHILDREN ON LIFE SUPPORT ............................... 1231 D. WHO IS A “PARENT”? ............................................................................ 1235 V. ORGAN DONATION AND ITS APPLICATION TO EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH .... 1236 A. ORGAN DONATION BY ADULTS AND CHILDREN ..................................... 1236 B. STEM CELL DONATION BY EMBRYOS ..................................................... 1239 VI. THE OBJECTIONS AND A RESPONSE ..................................................................... 1241 A. THE “CONSENT” OBJECTION .................................................................. 1241 B. THE “CREATION” OBJECTION ................................................................. 1245 C. THE “SNOWFLAKE” AND ADOPTION OBJECTION ..................................... 1248 D. THE “REPROGRAMMING” AND “BIOPSY” OBJECTIONS ........................... 1252 VII. DIFFERENTIATING STEM CELL RESEARCH FROM ELECTIVE ABORTION .............. 1254 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 1256