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Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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ant

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Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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A truly ethical bioethics should not bog down research in red tape, moratoria, or threats of prosecution based on nebulous but sweeping principles such as “dignity,” “sacredness,” or “social justice.”
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015 ... nt=event25
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Re: Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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Well said as always. Many Americans immediately shoot for the most paranoid possibility when considering anything new, potential, or mysterious. I'm reminded of arguments over human cloning a while back where folks screamed about monstrous cloned armies of identical Hitlers, marching across continents to global tyrannical victory. But if one ever had a chance to hold a cloned baby (perhaps one exists by now), smiling, wiggling, and cooing, I expect all those fears would melt away.
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Taylor

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Re: Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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Hitler was a cooing, happy little baby.

Just beating someone else to the punch. :lol:
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Re: Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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ant wrote:
A truly ethical bioethics should not bog down research in red tape, moratoria, or threats of prosecution based on nebulous but sweeping principles such as “dignity,” “sacredness,” or “social justice.”
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015 ... nt=event25
You have to ask, nebulous to who,Pinker?
Ethical issues are not the domain of scientists or even exclusively of psychologists.
His motto is just do it, and if a problem arises we can fix it then. How does he know that?
The whole eugenics movement was supposedly based on cutting edge scientific knowledge applied to 'improve' the human race.
Nebulous concepts such as dignity,sacredness and social justice were not allowed to get in the way.
He wants to sweep aside the ethical concerns of others about genetic manipulation and the possible consequences of these things as alarmist fantasy.
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Taylor

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Re: Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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Can the system CRISPRCas9 that Pinker mentions, aid, or help formulate a better understanding of species evolution such as what has been discussed with regards to fruit fly experiments? or is it strictly confined to a modification of current patient application. Can it help determine origin of a species?
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Re: Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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Pinker's own dignity is nebulous.
I'm certain he'd be the first to admit that it is, huh?

How can we test the hypothesis that it is?
All in the name of science, of course. Pinker's "self" is incidental when compared to the rewards we'll get from the data.
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Re: Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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Taylor wrote:Can the system CRISPRCas9 that Pinker mentions, aid, or help formulate a better understanding of species evolution such as what has been discussed with regards to fruit fly experiments? or is it strictly confined to a modification of current patient application. Can it help determine origin of a species?

We no longer question the origin of the species. We came from a pond of purposeless gue, and have only an illusion of purpose. Thats why dignity is an illusion as well.
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Re: Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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Stephen Pinker blithely assures us,quote; "Of course individuals must be protected from identifiable harm,but we already have ample safeguards for the safety and informed consent of patients and research subjects."

Just who is asking the consent of unborn babies about whether their body parts can be used in scientific research?
These are moral judgements and for Pinker it's a utilitarian numbers game.

Why not just take Pinker's body parts and give them for scientific research or transplant? After all why let nebulous principles like dignity,sacredness and social justice get in the way of the greater benefit of a greater number?
Last edited by Flann 5 on Tue Aug 04, 2015 7:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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Good points, Flann.

I'm thinking secular humanism holds to a specific agenda and belief that consciousness is the measure of intrinsic value.

Pro Choice is definitely pertinent to this discussion. Where secular humanism chooses not to assign intrinsic moral value and dignity makes the slaughter of the unborn of no significant consequence to its alleged value system.

This, needless to say, can be seen as monstrous behavior.

I'm wondering where our resident humanists are and would like to see them participate in this thread.
Where's the humanity in all this?

On perhaps a side note, I see how some atheists are fond of arguing against the Old Testament's conception of God and the heinous acts encouraged and supported within OT scripture. New Atheism has something of a parasitic relationship with the OT and utilizes that relationship to direct Christianity's attention at issues of immorality and "How can you worship such a God" rhetoric.

Where is secular morality to be found in Pinker's "Get out of the way" ethics?

Let's hear it.
I'm predicting we will get either tumbleweeds passing through the night, or very indirect responses from our fellow Humanists.
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Re: Pinker's moral imperative for bioethics: "Get out of the way"

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LanDroid wrote:Well said as always. Many Americans immediately shoot for the most paranoid possibility when considering anything new, potential, or mysterious. I'm reminded of arguments over human cloning a while back where folks screamed about monstrous cloned armies of identical Hitlers, marching across continents to global tyrannical victory. But if one ever had a chance to hold a cloned baby (perhaps one exists by now), smiling, wiggling, and cooing, I expect all those fears would melt away.
Do you think an infant in the 20th week of gestation has intrinsic value and dignity?
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