Contemporary Ethical Issues.

Part 1 WEEK 8

Prepared by:Dr. Ahamad Faosiy

School of Humanities and Social Sciences, AIU

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MEAN

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MEAN

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Abortion

SuicideSurrogate

Motherhood

Cloning

OVERVIEW

Euthanasia

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What is Cloning? The term refers to somatic cell

nuclear transfer (SCNT). Cloning is the creation of a genetic

copy of a sequence of DNA or of the entire genome of an organism.

Dolly is the 1st mammal ever to be cloned using SCNT. It came into the world as an innocent lamb.

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Types of cloning.

• Cloning for research and therapy: the embryo cloned through SCNT is not transferred into womb; rather it is used to obtain tissue- or patient specific stem cell.

• Human reproductive cloning:

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Issues • Advocates of human cloning believe

that the practice could provide genetically identical cells for regenerative medicine, and tissues and organs for transplantation.

• They hope to create a fertility treatment that allows parents who are both infertile to have children with at least some of their DNA in their offspring.

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Cont.• Human cloning might terminate the

human aging process.• Cloned organ will not be rejected by

the patient’s body after the transplantation.

• It can provide homosexual couples with genetically related children.

• It would enable prospective parents to control the genome their children

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Ethical Issues• The ethical issues with reproductive

cloning include genetic damage to the clone,

• Health risks to the mother,• Very low success rate meaning loss of

large numbers of embryos and fetuses,• Psychological harm to the clone• Complex altered familial relationships,

and commodification of human life.

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Questions to be ponder upon.• Who has the right to have children, no matter how they are

created? Who doesn't? Why?• Is human cloning "playing with nature?" If so, how does that

compare with other reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization or hormone treatments?

• If a clone originates from an existing person, who is the parent?

• What are some of the social challenges a cloned child might face?

• Do the benefits of human cloning outweigh the costs of human dignity?

• Should cloning research be regulated? How, and by whom?

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Surrogacy.• Surrogacy is when another woman

carries and gives birth to a baby for the infertile couple.

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Type of Surrogacy.• Genetic surrogacy or partial surrogacy: Here the egg

of the surrogate mother is fertilized by the commissioning male's sperm. In this way the surrogate mother is the biological mother of the child she carries.

• Total surrogacy: Here the surrogate mother's egg is fertilized with the sperm of a donor - not the male

part of the commissioning couple.• Gestatory surrogacy or full surrogacy: Here the

commissioning couple's egg and sperm have gone through in vitro fertilization and the surrogate

mother is not genetically linked to the child.

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Types of Surrogacy arrangements: • Altruistic surrogacy: here, the surrogate mother is

not paid for her 'service'. She 'offers her womb' as an act of 'altruism'. Often there will be a pre-established bond between the surrogate mother and the expecting couple.

• Commercial surrogacy: compensation is given for carrying the child. Often there will be a mediator, a surrogacy agency that deals with all the practical arrangements: finding a suitable surrogate mother and dealing with all the paperwork etc.

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Pro-surrogacy.• Fulfilling dream of having baby by

infertile• Adoption is difficult and takes a long

time with psychological evaluations and waiting list etc.

• Surrogate Mothers are conscious of their choice! They are well informed and well paid.

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Ethical claim against surrogacy.

• A typical objection to surrogacy (particularly commercial surrogacy) is comparing the physical aspects of it to a form of prostitution:

• In both cases one can view the women as selling physical, intimate, bodily services. Selling their bodies and their function for money!

• It turns Babies into Commodities, therefore, no room for natural bond to the baby.

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Cont.

• There are so many children in need of a home - surrogacy will jeopardize the chances of adoption.

• Surrogacy is for the Wealthy Only!• Exploiting Third World Women as Baby

Machines! E.g commercial surrogacy is legal in India.

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What is Euthanasia• ...originally meant 'good death, but in modern

society it has come to mean a death free of any anxiety and pain, often through the use of medication.

• Most recently, it has come to mean 'mercy killing' -- deliberately putting an end to someone's life in order to spare the individual's suffering."

• The act of killing someone painlessly (especially someone suffering from an incurable illness)

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Cont.

• The British House of Lords Committee on Medical Ethics defines it as "a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering".

• In the Netherlands, it is understood as "termination of life by a doctor at the request of a patient.

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Cont.

• it is categorized in different ways, Voluntary euthanasia is legal in some countries and U.S. states. Non-voluntary euthanasia is illegal in all countries. Involuntary euthanasia is usually considered murder.

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Issues.• Is euthanasia ethical?• Why some country legalise form of

euthanasia?• Euthanasia destroys societal respect

for life, degrades humanity and leads to a variety of social ills.

• If it becomes legal, there will be potential for abuse at the hands of caregivers.

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Pic.

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Suicide.

• It is an act of intentionally causing one's own death. it is often committed out of despair, the cause of which is frequently attributed to a mental disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse.

• During the samurai era in Japan, seppuku was respected as a means of atonement for failure or as a form of protest.

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Cont.

• Suicide also known as completed suicide is the "act of taking one's own life“

• .Attempted suicide or non fatal suicidal behavior is self injury with the desire to end one's life that does not result in death.

• Assisted suicide is when one individual helps another bring about their own death indirectly via providing either advice or the means to the end. In contrast to euthanasia.

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Cont.

• In most forms of Christianity, suicide is considered a sin, but it was not considered a sin under the Byzantine Christian code of Justinian

• Islam totally rejects it. Wala taktulu anfusakum……

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Abortion.• It is the termination of pregnancy by

the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability.

• It can occur spontaneously, which is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced. The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy

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Pregnancy & Intention.

• In the United States:• 49% of pregnancies were unintended

(2006). Of unintended pregnancies, 49% ended in abortions

• Unintended pregnancies increased among poor women,

• decreased among financially well-off women.

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Reason given for abortion.• Concern for/responsibility to other

individuals 74% • Cannot afford a baby now 73% • A baby would interfere with school/

employment/ability to care for dependents 69%

• Would be a single parent/having relationship problems 48%

• Has completed childbearing 38%• Source: Finer et al., 2005 (2004 data)

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Two Principal Moral Considerations

• The moral status of the fetus• Is the fetus a person? At what stage in

its development, does it becomes a person? Conception? 1st trimester? Or Birth?

• The rights of the pregnant woman• Does the pregnant woman have the

right to decide if she is going to carry the baby or not?

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Immoral & Illegal.• Is abortion morally wrong?• Should abortion be illegal?• These are distinct issues. Not everything

that is immoral is necessarily illegal. We may, for example, want to say that being unfaithful in one’s marriage is immoral, but we may not want to see it made illegal.

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Main argument against abortion• P1 The fetus is an innocent person.• P2 It is morally wrong to end the life of

an innocent person.• Therefore, it is morally wrong to end

the life of a fetus • What are the necessary conditions of

personhood? • What are the sufficient conditions of

personhood?

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شكراThank you

Terima kasih

Eseun oMerci

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