Sunday, September 30, 2007

Zygotes at the Zoo

Animal rights is an ambiguous area. How does one define the value of a life and give it purpose? On the other hand, as a result of today’s society, fewer individuals ever come in contact with the critter that ends up on their plate at dinner time while it still retains its motor and neural function. While I have absolutely no compunctions about eating “Bambi” or beef, I do believe that all animals, including those meant for consumption should be as well treated as possible. In American society, ever since childhood, we have been taught to endow animals with human emotions and understandings. While animals certainly do experience their own range of feelings, it is on a much more primal level than our own. We have humanized animals in such a way that their natures are truly unknown to most individuals.
Is animal experimentation an unnecessary evil? I believe that for the most part it is. As in the documentary that we watched in class stated, perhaps we do not have the right but we have the need. What good is being accomplished in the knowing infliction of suffering and death on innocent creatures? What assigns life worth? Priority is given to sheep over mice, dogs over sheep and humans over dogs. Although the determinants remain vastly unclear, these assignments make sense based on so-called ‘gut instinct.’ Society today is too apathetic. One needs to question why and how, but in a world where the product is so removed from the source, we no longer take the time to analyze our world. In modern science, experimental animals are no longer altered after their birth, but in the very beginning stages while still zygotes. We have the capability to manipulate and control on a cellular level, often setting these creatures up for their demise even before they become a gastrula. On the other hand, the knowledge gained by such experimentation has great potential for good. As example, gene knockout can isolate gene function and development, identifying pathways of cancerous cells. With this beginning knowledge, the possibility of finding a cure or prevention is a step closer. When looking for an answer, it is important to find how a problem starts.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Right and Wrong, Who Says?

How does one define right and wrong in this life? Indeed, how does one determine what path to follow in the midst of the turmoil and chaos that is this world? Ethics are the guidelines for a dark road leading into the unknown. Applied ethics is in nature the same as in name. Normative ethics are the set of guidelines. Meta ethics refers to the origin of one’s guidelines. Without an established set of principles, mankind would be in an even deeper hole than the one we have already dug ourselves into. Even with our ‘morals’ mankind has managed to make a disaster of things. The 20th century was theorized to be a great age of peace and prosperity as a result of technology, education and great intellectualization. Instead, the world has known two world wars, each with their own genocide. We now question can the Holocaust of WWII ever happen again, and people such as Elie Weisel, who survived the original, answer yes. And it is happening again today, such as in Darfur. The 20th century has been a time of global disaster in terms of peacemaking. How can we call ourselves civilized, much less ethical in light of these relatively recent events? One can only hope that this 21st century will have improved, although it remains doubtful. Mankind has a great capacity for good, but also for evil.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Testing 1,2,3...

Hello. Since I've never used a blog before, I'm making sure this works! This blog site is intended to be used as a discussion board for the class "Professional Ethics" and I hope that this experimentation will generate a goodly amount of conversation... But first lets see if I know what I'm doing here....