Gap Fill Annotated Bibliography - Sam Harris article

1) Harris, Sam. "The Case Against Faith | Cover." Sam Harris. 13 Nov. 2006. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. <http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/the-case-against-faith/>.

2)  Religious people believe in illogical things which don't add up and don't make any sense when compared next to the rest of the physical world.  These are the same people that elect our congressional representatives, and who run for office themselves.  Believing in these sorts of ridiculous notions is no way to go about maintaining a stable civilization (geopolitically,  environmentally, and economically).  Christian ministers who hold congregations in which thousands of people attend are some of the most well-funded and influential people in our society. 

While it is wrong to criticize someone's personal religious beliefs, many of their ideals conflict with "genuine morality."  Religious people are quick to focus their attention to "moral problems" such as gay marriage where nobody actually suffers, but they are fine with letting people suffer if it coincides with their religious beliefs.   Embryonic Stem Cell research is a prime example.  The majority of religious people believe that human life starts at the moment of conception, and that the embryo has a soul.  Therefore, a girl with an extreme ailment which needs medical care cannot take precedence over the "life" of a five day old embryo. 

Religious people are protected from the demand to provide valid, logical arguments by their strongly held beliefs.  These are the same beliefs that dictate exactly how they will live their life.  Our militaristic and destructive technology is only getting better.  Our obsession with religion poses a threat to all of humanity while we possess weapons of mass destruction in a world in which religious tension is always rising. 

3)  This is relevant to my topic because it provides logical arguments in support of ESCR.  I can use this, along with other passages from this article to help support my claim.

4) "Bush used his first veto to deny federal funding to this research. He did this on the basis of his religious faith. Like millions of other Americans, President Bush believes that “human life starts at the moment of conception.” Specifically, he believes that there is a soul in every 3-day-old human embryo, and the interests of one soul—the soul of a little girl with burns over 75 percent of her body, for instance—cannot trump the interests of another soul, even if that soul happens to live inside a petri dish. Here, as ever, religious dogmatism impedes genuine wisdom and compassion."

"The problem, however, is that much of what people believe in the name of religion is intrinsically divisive, unreasonable and incompatible with genuine morality. One of the worst things about religion is that it tends to separate questions of right and wrong from the living reality of human and animal suffering."

Working Draft 2 - ESC

In the human body, there are more than 220 different cell types.    All of those cell types are derived from a cluster of cells known as embryonic stem cells.  These unique cells come from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, a young embryo approximately four to five days old.  What makes these cells so very unique is that they are pluripotent.  This mean that they can be characterized to differentiate into any of the three germ layers which exist in the human body: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm.   The endoderm is comprised of the stomach, intestines, and the lungs.  The mesoderm is mainly the muscle, blood, and bone.  This leaves the ectoderm with your skin and nervous system.  Another aspect of these cells is that they have the ability, under the right circumstances, to replicate themselves indefinitely.  Since they have the ability to produce unlimited numbers of themselves, they can be used in medicine for regenerative therapy and medical research. 

            Regenerative therapy means exactly what it implies.  Tissues which is lost or damaged due to disease or injury can be subsequently repaired or replaced by new tissue grown from administered embryonic stem cells.  "After administration into the patient’s body, fetal stem cells migrate to the site of damage, engraft, [multiply], undergo specialization regulated by the new host, substitute lost or damaged cells, and restore the cell mass and impaired body functions."  Some ailments which can possibly be treated with the use of embryonic stem cells are cancers, genetic diseases, Parkinson's, juvenile diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and blindness.  So if major disabilities like the ones listed can be partially or fully treated, why don't we utilize them?  What is the ethical issue regarding the harvest and use of these stem cells?

            The main controversial issue of this type of research is the status of the human embryo.  When the inner cell mass of the embryo is taken, the embryo dies.  The reason for this, is because that inner cell mass is what forms the three germ layers of the human body, so without it the embryo will no longer develop.  People who are against the harvesting, research, and use of these special cells are known to be "pro-life."  They generally believe that the four day embryo as a potential human being has a soul and is plainly murdered when harvested.  The pro-lifers are usually religious people who believe that the research of these stem cells "instrumentalizes and violates the sanctity of life."  They see human life as starting the second the an egg becomes fertilized, though scientifically, an embryo is not human until it starts to perform human functions.  At the time of harvest, it is only a cluster of cells, just like all of the other cells in the human body.  

            A popular philosopher by the name of Sam Harris makes a compelling argument for embryonic stem cell research in his article titled "The Case Against Faith."  In this writing, he mentions how President Bush used his first veto to cut off federal funding to embryonic stem cell research.  President Bush believes that human life begins at the moment of conception.  Harris stated "[Bush] believes that there is a soul in every 3-day-old human embryo, and the interests of one soul—the soul of a little girl with burns over 75 percent of her body, for instance—cannot trump the interests of another soul, even if that soul happens to live inside a petri dish. Here, as ever, religious dogmatism impedes genuine wisdom and compassion."  He goes on to make the comparison that the human embryo, when harvested, is a collection of a mere 150 cells, and there are more than 100,000 cells which exist in the brain of a fly.

            During a speech given at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Sam Harris states that "Every cell in your body given the right manipulations, every cell with a nucleus, is now a potential human being.  Every time you scratch your nose, you have committed a holocaust of potential human beings."  Harris goes on to examine the argument that each embryo has a soul.  He raises the question of what happens to the soul when the embryo splits, resulting in identical twins.  Does this mean that one soul can split into two souls?  What happens if the embryos fuse back together to form a chimera?  What happens to the other soul?  He states that this "arithmetic of souls" doesn't make any sense, and that these illogical arguments are prolonging the misery of millions of humans suffering from debilitating and degenerative diseases.  Harris further explains that our "moral intuitions have been obscured by religious meta-physics. This is a kind of blindness that is very well subscribed in our society...and it goes by the name of religious faith."

            It has become clear that almost all of the people who are opposed to embryonic stem cell research are religious people.  They regurgitate the same couple illogical arguments that coincide with their beliefs and are blinded by their religious faith which only prolongs the suffering of others who really need help.  How could the needs of a few cells in a petri dish outweigh those of a living, breathing human being who has no choice but to live a substandard life.  The men and women who we elected to represent us in office are almost all God-fearing people.   As a result, many of our politicians do not support the funding of the most promising medical advancement in human history.  Other countries can see past the religious dogmatism and recognize the importance of this medical miracle.  The United States is falling behind the rest of the world in the medical field.  Eventually we will just travel to other countries to have major procedures done, because there will be no point in being treated here with out-dated techniques.

Areas of Discussion

In my paper I am going to use both areas of discussion ("ESC should be prohibited", "ESC should be funded").  For my topic, embryonic stem cells, there exists only two sides to the argument so it is important that both sides are told.  I will be able to explain why some people are against embryonic stem cell research, and I will be able to present the supporter's side of the issue. 

Circles of Evidence - ESC Research Paper

ESC Research should be prohibited:
    -Kills potential human being
    -Should use adult stem cells instead
    -We can't play God

The Govt. should fund the research of ESC:
    -ESC can cure diseases
    -Make someone's life more livable
    -Embryo is only a few cells big when harvested

Working Draft - Embryonic Stem Cells

            In the human body, there are more than 220 different cell types.    All of those cell types are derived from a cluster of cells known as embryonic stem cells.  These unique cells come from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, a young embryo approximately four to five days old.  What makes these cells so very unique is that they are pluripotent.  This mean that they can be characterized to differentiate into any of the three germ layers which exist in the human body: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm.   The endoderm is comprised of the stomach, intestines, and the lungs.  The mesoderm is mainly the muscle, blood, and bone.  This leaves the ectoderm with your skin and nervous system.  Another aspect of these cells is that they have the ability, under the right circumstances, to replicate themselves indefinitely.  Since they have the ability to produce unlimited numbers of themselves, they can be used in medicine for regenerative therapy and medical research.  

            Regenerative therapy means exactly what it implies.  Tissues which is lost or damaged due to disease or injury can be subsequently repaired or replaced by new tissue grown from administered embryonic stem cells.  "After administration into the patient’s body, fetal stem cells migrate to the site of damage, engraft, [multiply], undergo specialization regulated by the new host, substitute lost or damaged cells, and restore the cell mass and impaired body functions."  Some ailments which can possibly be treated with the use of embryonic stem cells are cancers, genetic diseases, Parkinson's, juvenile diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and blindness.  So if major disabilities like the ones listed can be partially or fully treated, why don't we utilize them?  What is the ethical issue regarding the harvest and use of these stem cells?

            The main controversial issue of this type of research is the status of the human embryo.  When the inner cell mass of the embryo is taken, the embryo dies.  The reason for this, is because that inner cell mass is what forms the three germ layers of the human body, so without it the embryo will no longer develop.  People who are against the harvesting, research, and use of these special cells are known to be "pro-life."  They generally believe that the four day embryo as a potential human being has a soul and is plainly murdered when harvested.  The pro-lifers are usually religious people who believe that the research of these stem cells "instrumentalizes and violates the sanctity of life."  They see human life as starting the second the an egg becomes fertilized, though scientifically, an embryo is not human until it starts to perform human functions.  At the time of harvest, it is only a cluster of cells, just like all of the other cells in the human body.   

            A popular philosopher by the name of Sam Harris makes a compelling argument for embryonic stem cell research in his article titled "The Case Against Faith."  In this writing, he mentions how President Bush used his first veto to cut off federal funding to embryonic stem cell research.  President Bush believes that human life begins at the moment of conception.  Harris stated "[Bush] believes that there is a soul in every 3-day-old human embryo, and the interests of one soul—the soul of a little girl with burns over 75 percent of her body, for instance—cannot trump the interests of another soul, even if that soul happens to live inside a petri dish. Here, as ever, religious dogmatism impedes genuine wisdom and compassion."  He goes on to make the comparison that the human embryo, when harvested, is a collection of a mere 150 cells, and there are more than 100,000 cells which exist in the brain of a fly.  

Annotated Bibliography - Embryonic Stem Cell - Federal Funding

1) Park, Alice. "Ruling Halts Federal Funding of Embryonic-Stem-Cell Research." Time.com. 24 Aug. 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2013042,00.html>.

2)  Shortly after President Obama took office, he loosened the restrictions on government funding of human embryonic stem cell research.   Although, on Aug 23 2009, a federal judge declared that the stem cell research is off limits for being funded by tax dollars.  He said that it violates a 1996 law.  Scientists viewed the ruling as a "step backward" in stem cell research.   Dr. Elaine Fuchs , a professor at Rockefeller University and president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research , said "The court decision threatens to impede progress in regenerative medicine in our country."  Researchers are resulting to only use privately funded equipment for stem cell research at this time.

                The 1996 law prohibits  federal dollars from being used that would support  any studies "in which human embryos are created, destroyed, or discarded or knowingly subjected  to risk of injury or death."   In 1999, Harriet Rabb, counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, determined that human embryonic stem cells that are derived from embryos are not the same as embryos and are therefore immune to the federal funding cuts.   A court said that questions was whether or not an embryo was destroyed as a result of the process of embryonic stem cell research.  They ruled that the taking of the stem cells did in fact result in the death of the embryo.

3)  This article is relevant to my topic because it explores some of the political aspects of embryonic stem cell research, specifically federal funding.

4) "The court decision threatens to impede progress in regenerative medicine in our country. It must be challenged as quickly as possible."  Dr. Elaine Fuchs

"The registry, along with Obama's decision in March 2009 to allow taxpayer dollars to be used to study any existing embryonic-stem-cell lines that meet NIH ethical guidelines, is allowed even in the face of Dickey-Wicker because of a 1999 ruling by Harriet Rabb."

Embryonic Stem Cell - Annotated Bibliography - EmCell

1) "Treatment." EmCell. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://www.emcell.com/en/treatment.htm>.

2)            Fetal Stem Cell treatment is the transplantation of stem cells into a certain area of the body capable of increasing the function of bodily systems such as nervous, immune, muscular, blood circulation, etc.  The cells which are used in the procedure are harvested from germ layers of aborted embryos.  Once the stem cells are administered to the patients, the cells migrate to the damaged area and immediately go to work  multiplying, substituting damaged cells with new ones, and attempt to restore bodily function to that area.  Depending on what the patient was treated for, improvement is seen quickly.  

                After treatment, some of the following effects can be seen: rapid improvement of mental and physical activities, improvement of mood, restoration of immune system competence, stimulation of trophic functions in tissues and organs, especially ones that were deteriorating.  Curative effects seen with the use of fetal stem cell treatment offer possibilities not seen with modern methods of treatment.  It should be understood that embryonic stem cell treatment "is not a magic stick and it cannot create a giant from a dwarf."  Although, realistic tasks can be accomplished such as restoring normal functions and delaying the progression of a disease.

3)  This source is useful to my research because it informs me on the process of which embryonic stem cells are administered to patients.  It provides an in-depth look at what goes into treating patients.

4) "Fetal stem cell treatment presupposes transplantation of progenitor cells capable to form pools of cells responsible for certain systems and functions of the body: nervous, immune, and muscular systems, hematopoiesis, blood circulation, etc."

"After administration into the patient’s body, fetal stem cells migrate to the site of damage, engraft, multiplicate, undergo specialization regulated by the new host (recipient), substitute lost or damaged cells, and restore the cell mass and impaired body functions. Moreover, stem cells we use produce necessary biologically active substances (e.g. hematopoietic growth factors, interleukins, nerve growth factor, tumour necrosis factor, angiogenic and neurotrophic factors etc.)."

Overall, I view myself as more toward the "Moral Universalist"  end of the spectrum.  I believe that generally all humans have similar moral values which can be found in every existing culture.  I acknowledge that there are some exceptions which are a result of cultural differences.  If you were to present the UN Declaration of Human Rights to a representative of each different culture, they would agree with most all of the philosophies presented in that document.  Every human worldwide has the same wanting of freedom, justice, and happiness.

                Like most people, my standards and values originated mostly from the environment  in which I grew up.  Through my family and friends, I developed a sense of right and wrong and fairness.  This set the foundation for my values to come.  In a sense, my moral standing and core values have always existed, but it was really through this class that I am  able to explore and define what those values are.  A corny metaphor I could use would be that I own a box and I have always known what the contents of that box were, but I can now open up the box and pick through the individual items inside.

Where I view myself more on the universalist end of the spectrum, I recognize relativism and agree with the philosophy.  The moral standards I apply to everyday life can change with certain situations because I recognize that exceptions do exist.   I also see that my philosophy shares a similarity with absolutism because I agree with the belief that there are things that are always right, and things that are always wrong.  An example would be things such as rape and murder.  In no circumstance would I support either of them. 

UN Declaration of Human Rights

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. Yes

5. No

6. Yes

7. Yes

8. Yes

9. Yes

10. Yes

11. Yes

12. Yes

13. Yes

14. Yes

15. Yes

16. Yes

17. Yes

18. Yes

19. Yes

20. Yes

21. Yes

22. Yes

23. Yes

24. Yes

25. Yes

26. Yes

27. Yes

28. Yes

29. Yes

30. Yes