The Brave New World of Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Utilitarian Consequentialism and Faulty Moral Reasoning
Aldous Huxley's Brave New World presents us with the terrifying possibilities of what human beings can do to one another when respect for the basic values of life are compromised. Many of the technologies envisioned by Huxley, such as in vitro fertilization and the genetic engineering of children, have proved to be remarkably prescient. What is especially compelling about Huxley 's Brave New World is the utilitarian promise of advancing science while ostensibly not harming anyone in the process. The principal promise consists in the abolishment of all disease and social conflict, albeit at the price of a moral enervation of the human psyche and the elimination of introspective religiou~ sentiments. This rather heavy price would be too much to bear except for the fact that those in control do not realize what has been lost. "Unlike the man reduced by disease or slavery, the people dehumanized a la Brave New World are not miserable, don't know that they are dehumanized , and, what is worse, would not care if they knew. They are, indeed, happy slaves with a slavish happiness." 1 The National Academy of Sciences unveiled a set of research guidelines that would ease us into the brave new world of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) biotechnology. The authors of the document allege that we need to establish responsible oversight practices that will enhance the integrity of privately funded research with hESCs. Specifically, these hESC oversight committees would promote research that allows the destruction of human embryos for the express purpose of extracting stem cells, the purpose being to develop new regenerative