The law and politics of embryo research in America.
The moral, legal, and public policy dispute over embryonic stem cell research (and related matters, such as human cloning) is the most prominent issue in American public bioethics of the past decade. The primary moral question raised by the practice of embryonic stem cell research is whether it is defensible to disaggregate (and thus destroy) living human embryos in order to derive pluripotent cells (stem cells) for purposes of basic research that may someday yield regenerative therapies. This essay will explain the legal and political dimensions of the embryonic stem cell debate as it has unfolded at the national level in the United States, contrasting the position and thinking of President Clinton's administration with that of George W Bush. Building upon this, a set of brief reflections is offered on the form and substance of the American federal approach to this public matter and whether it is ultimately sustainable to join the issue in this particular way.
Center for Ethics and Culture, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA. snead.1@nd.edu
O Carter
OC
Snead
D019976:Cloning, Organism / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D033041:Embryo Research / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D006801:Humans; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009014:Morals; D011057:Politics; D011640:Public Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D057905:Stem Cell Research / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States