Every Stem Cell's Sacred?

[Winston]

Originally posted by BlackCat
Winston is of course right in that we probably all* are going to die one way or the other, and it's of course his right to do that screaming in pain or totally lost in Alzheimer fogs.

Sarcasm, hmm..

Well people have managed for thousands of years. I think we would be better served by working toward coming to terms with our own individual mortality than by attempting feverishly to prolong our existance by a couple of years harvesting eachother's organs. Or cultivating them at the pig farm down the road..

And I also believe that many of the serious ailments that hit people in their old age are indirectly caused by our ability to prolong our lifespan much longer than what is intended by nature.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Winston


Sarcasm, hmm..

Nah, how can you think such about me ?

Well people have managed for thousands of years. I think we would be better served by working toward coming to terms with our own individual mortality than by attempting feverishly to prolong our existance by a couple of years harvesting eachother's organs. Or cultivating them at the pig farm down the road..

And I also believe that many of the serious ailments that hit people in their old age are indirectly caused by our ability to prolong our lifespan much longer than what is intended by nature.

Are you suggesting that we drop healthincreasing improvements such as sanitation, vaccines, medication etc ?

Maybe even introduction of laws about mandatory eutanasi at 65 ?

[SlowwHand]

Same thing, Che.

[chequita guevara]

If I could live a few more seconds, I would.

[Winston]

Originally posted by BlackCat
Are you suggesting that we drop healthincreasing improvements such as sanitation, vaccines, medication etc ?

No, as I see nothing unethical about these things, speaking in a general manner. Quite the contrary, actually.

Why do you ask? Your suggestion seems rather detached from what we're discussing.

[chequita guevara]

What's unethical about allowing others to use my organs when I'm no longer using them?

[Winston]

Well, I wouldn't want them is all.

[chequita guevara]

I wouldn't think anyone would, considering their quality, but that's another matter. There's nothing unethical about it. You aren't harming anyone by using them. Heck, by certain view points, you're even helping that person live a little longer, since their organs continue to live.

[Winston]

Ethical matters are hard to discuss. It's usually very personal in nature, and most often difficult to change on the basis of opposing arguments.

In my opinion, you can't just apply utilitarian rationales to matters that are rooted in ethical concerns. I sense that you're saying "what's the harm of transplanting organs when people can no longer use them anyway?" Well, there is no harm (at least on the surface of it, there can and will be borderline cases, believe you me) but it's not at the core of the matter whether there's any harm or not.

I personally wouldn't accept or donate organs because it is just not an acceptable way to proceed for me. I wouldn't eat my neighbour either, if I found him lying dead on the stairs one morning, eventhough it wouldn't harm anybody, and it might even provide several benefits from a strictly utilitarian viewpoint.

[Terra Nullius]

Zombie Trotskyist Frog Organs roaming the Florida Quays.

*Shudder

[Terra Nullius]

Originally posted by Winston
Or cultivating them at the pig farm down the road..

Goats, people. That's your solution.

Nobody says no to goat organs.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Winston


No, as I see nothing unethical about these things, speaking in a general manner. Quite the contrary, actually.

Why do you ask? Your suggestion seems rather detached from what we're discussing.

Well, they all interfere with the natural flow of life, and so does organ transplant and stem cell treatment.

I don't mind that you choose to not use such treatments if you don't like them, but that should not affect other peoples wish to do such.

What exactly are your reasons to think these treatments are unethical ?

[Jon Miller]

I would go from Pro (with concerns about harvesting practices) to Pro (no concerns).

JM
(I don't like the idea of making embyos to harvest material from them, I don't see anything wrong with using material from something that is going to die anyways)

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Winston
I personally wouldn't accept or donate organs because it is just not an acceptable way to proceed for me. I wouldn't eat my neighbour either, if I found him lying dead on the stairs one morning, eventhough it wouldn't harm anybody, and it might even provide several benefits from a strictly utilitarian viewpoint.

What if you were both in a boat lost at sea and starving?

[Combat Ingrid]

Originally posted by Winston
Well people have managed for thousands of years. I think we would be better served by working toward coming to terms with our own individual mortality than by attempting feverishly to prolong our existance by a couple of years harvesting eachother's organs. Or cultivating them at the pig farm down the road..

I partly agree with you, I think it's better to add life to your years instead of adding years to your life. However, if it was up to me, I would get both