Customer Reviews

Whose View of Life?: Embryos, Cloning, and Stem Cells

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These are highly contentious issues where many have long- and emotionally-held views. Maienschien first puts these issues into historical context. The questions, ethical and moral, that they pose are not really all that new. Through history decisions have been made sometimes on science, sometimes in ignorance, and sometimes in the absence of real understanding.

What comes through is that the science of human development has been an evolving process and, like all of science, it has had no shortage of breakthroughs, brilliant insights, and egos. The bottom line is that science does not yet have all the answers...and in some cases...the answer may not lie in the realm of science.

So what are politicians to do about this. How do they decide? Make law? Balance the competing and strongly-held views on this issue?

By the close of the book we know Maienschein's position, but unlike some who have written in this area, she does not then discount those with whom she disagrees. Rather, she seems to suggest that responsible decisions must always remember that there are those who will disagree with any particular stance. The challenge for our leaders, then, is to make decisions that are "right" and not those that are politically expedient.

An excellent book. Well worth the read.

"Whose View of Life?" puts the competing views of life underlying the controversy over embryos and embryonic stem cell research in clear historical context. Dr. Maienschein shows how even strict dogmatic views have evolved under the influence of technology, particularly the ability to visualize the embryo and fetus.
In this regard, it seems to me that such seeing does not necessarily bring philosophical enlightenment.
This excellent book can help clarify one's own thinking on this crucial controversy, as well as better one's understanding of perspectives other than ones own.