The Dilemma of the Fetus: Fetal Research, Medical Progress, and Moral Politics

"There are few issues in modern politics and science that stir as much fervor as the debate over the ethics and policies surrounding fetal tissue research. For a brief period, it may have seemed that this debate had been laid to rest when, on his first day in office, President Clinton rescinded George Bush's 1989 executive order that banned federal funding for fetal tissue transplantation research. But as the new Republican-dominated Congress begins its work, fetal research has again become a hotbed of political debate. The recent bombings and killings at abortion clinics and the ban on government funding for some forms of human embryo research underscore just how volatile fetal-related topics remain in the American consciousness." "In The Dilemma of the Fetus, Steven Maynard-Moody, a national authority on fetal issues and public policy, demonstrates that even when this kind of research promises significant medical cures to diseases as diverse as Alzheimer's and diabetes, public officials, religious leaders, and millions of citizens remain ethically opposed to its progress. Exactly what place fetal research should hold in our modern society, according to Maynard-Moody, is a seemingly unresolvable dilemma, one that cuts deep into the fiber of our democracy. In contrast to the suppositions of partisan groups, the implications of this debate have a profound impact on all parties involved, including religious and other spiritual groups, pro-choice and antiabortion advocates, scientists and medical researchers, policymakers and concerned citizens. In fact, this controversy helps sustain the social accountability of science and keeps our democratic dialectic alive."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved… (more)