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Platonic & Aristotelian View on Stem Cell Research

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BigBlockin
 
Reply Tue 28 Oct, 2008 07:43 pm
I was listening in on a few of my friends majoring in biology speaking of stem cell research and the developments in this field. Although they were mostly speaking of the biological details behind this topic, my wandering mind began pondering on the numerous ethicals issues and arguements behind this topic.

My personal interest on Ethics and on the classical philosophers, Plato and Aristotle has started me on a search for what position these two philosophers would have taken on this modern issue based on their beliefs.

Can anyone input on where these philosophers may stand on this topic or guide me on how to go about finding the answers (what text to read for instance)? I will be doing my own research in the mean time, so I will post whatever related information I find as well.

Thank you in advance and I apologize for my ignorance. I am an accounting major, who has found great interest in philosophy and am trying to learn more in this field of study.
 
Theaetetus
 
Reply Tue 28 Oct, 2008 09:24 pm
@BigBlockin,
Considering that neither Plato or Aristotle could comprehend something like stem cell research it is hard to say how they would view this issue based on their beliefs. This is also the reason why Aristotle never prescribes a set of actions in his ethics and instead relies on character building.

Both would probably have no issue with the practice. Aristotle would say as long as the researcher does their function well then it would be fine. See Nicomachean Ethics if you want to get into Aristotle's ethics. Plato would take a more metaphysical approach, but would probably conclude that stem cell research when done properly aligns with the good.

This is one of those ethical debates that is hard to include Plato and Aristotle. Now Kant and John Stuart Mill on the other hand, would have a lot to say on the subject since this falls into the realm of both deontological and consequentialism ethics.
 
jgweed
 
Reply Wed 29 Oct, 2008 09:45 am
@BigBlockin,
The answers to such anachronistic questions usually tell us more about the questioner and his philosophy than they do either Plato's or Aristotle's possible position. Would not one have to make the novel situation analogous to one discussed by the ancients, and by making it analogous, perhaps in a sense distort its difference in making that translation?
 
Theaetetus
 
Reply Wed 29 Oct, 2008 12:25 pm
@jgweed,
jgweed wrote:
The answers to such anachronistic questions usually tell us more about the questioner and his philosophy than they do either Plato's or Aristotle's possible position. Would not one have to make the novel situation analogous to one discussed by the ancients, and by making it analogous, perhaps in a sense distort its difference in making that translation?


This is where I ran into a problem suggesting what Plato and Aristotle would say on a topic they could not have fathomed in their time. One of the main ethical topics for debate during their time was pederasty, but definately not 20th and 21st century scientific discoveries nor even the 4th century BC equivalent (probably involving architecture or agriculture).

Both had ethical doctrine that concerned itself with character over action so the situation would be irrelevant. Their ethics and moral philosophy can be applied rather easy although it could not comment on action, only on the agent's character. Thus, neither would really help justify stem cell research, only the agent potentially involved in stem cell research and whether serving their proper function towards good ends.
 
jgweed
 
Reply Wed 29 Oct, 2008 01:35 pm
@BigBlockin,
It might be possible to state the specific political and ethical questions in such a way as to subsume them under very general topics, and then seek to understand how Plato or Aristotle dealt with these general topics. One would have to be very clear and careful about such restatement.
 
Aedes
 
Reply Fri 31 Oct, 2008 08:03 pm
@BigBlockin,
Applied ethics, as we deal with in biology and medicine, is quite removed from ethical philosophy (i.e. how should we make ethical decisions). In the case of something like stem cell research or abortion or physician-assisted suicide, one's ingrained cultural and religious framework has more to do with one's judgement than whether one is a deontologist or consequentialist -- those arguments are sort of rationalizations in the end.
 
 

 
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