What are the ethical and social issues surrounding stem cells?
Respect for human life requires that we show respect for human embryos. Some people believe that embryonic stem cell research violates this principle, as an embryo is destroyed during the process of stem cell line derivation. Others argue that the potential benefits of stem cell research (e.g. alleviating human suffering) represents a way of showing respect for human life. Additional concerns rest on the belief that the creation of embryos for research purposes and the derivation of stem cell lines might lead to the de-sensitisation of human life and to potentially uncontrolled commercialisation or instrumentalization of the human body. One must keep in mind that these issues are directly linked with another key issue: the moral and legal status of the human embryo.
