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BIOETIKK-Etikk,samfunn og bioteknologi

Going to the roots of the stem cell controversy

Awarded: NOK 0.63 mill.

In a traditional three year project with research fellows it is impossible to conduct a serious analysis of all the main issues in the stem cell area. But because they are interlinked focusing on only some of them will be problematic. We have therefore de veloped a project that does not primarily rely on research fellows, but which draws directly on the work of international experts and on work on stem cells in progress by two of the senior members of staff at Center for Medical Ethics. This can best be d one in a workshop format with direct interaction between opposing views, but in a spirit of a "Peacemaking mode of doing philosophy". The project relies on 5 carefully planned workshops, that span the complete set of issues raised by stem cell research an d stem cell based therapies. These are linked through meetings of the core project group in which the discussions will be synthesised, and issues identified for further analysis. WS1 Will begin with a number of "state of the art" presentations. These wil l be followed by two case studies (UK & Norway) of the role played by the stem cell community in informing and influencing public debate and policy making processes. WS2 focuses on how the stem cell debate has reopened and previous debates concerning rep roduction and the limits of embryo research. WS3 focuses on the issues raised because stem cell research is still in its infancy, and that the ethical and political decision making has to take place in a context of profound scientific uncertainty concern ing the effectiveness and final impact of embryonic and adult stem cell therapies. WS4 focuses on the use of consistency arguments in the stem cell debate, and on the link between bioethical analysis and policy making in liberal democracies. WS5 focuses on the broader context of scientific and bioethical arguments and rhetoric. It will try to elucidate what kinds of arguments translate effectively from the academic to the public policy sphere and why

Funding scheme:

BIOETIKK-Etikk,samfunn og bioteknologi

Thematic Areas and Topics

No thematic area or topic related to the project