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Originally Posted by David Do they really! So how do we derive:
1) The length of time a human embryo can grow under research conditions without violating ethical values. |
By agreement.
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2) How much suffering it is acceptable to subject an animal to in the cause of medical research.
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By agreement. Our decision will be affected if we learn that an animal has aspects of consciousness similar to humans.
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3) Acceptable standards of sexual morality.
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By agreement.
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4) Which (if any) kinds of military research are immoral.
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By agreement.
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Science can't say anything about these questions - merely perhaps quibble with the choice of people brought in to answer those questions!
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It can says some things: When does an embryo start having brain function? Are rats conscious in ways similar to humans?
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It is sad really, if, say the church says contraception is wrong, even in an overcrowded world, there is nothing that science can say against that - except to enumerate the practical consequences.
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Scientists can laugh at the Catholic church, but I'm not sure how much weight that carries.
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Never mind whether people want to see scientists as the absolute arbiter of morality, what can science as currently formulated possibly say about such questions!
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It can provide information to add to the pool of information that we use to make our moral decisions.
~~ Paul