Philosophy Commons^™

Human Fetal Tissue: Scientific Uses And Ethical Concerns, Carol A. Tauer Ph.D.

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Human fetal tissue has been used in research for decades, but recent attempts to implant fetal neural tissue as therapy for Parkinson's disease have stimulated discussion of ethical and policy issues. In late 1989 a moratorium on federal support of fetal tissue transplantation research was indefinitely extended, based on the connection between this research and elective abortion. Four abortion-related objections to the use of fetal tissue can be identified: 1. The procedures of abortion and tissue procurement are linked in practice; 2. One who uses fetal tissue is complicit with the abortions which provided the tissue; 3. The prospect of …

In Vitro Fertilization: Are There Still Ethical Problems?, Carol A. Tauer Ph.D.

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The initial development of the technique of in vitro fertilization (IVF) was accompanied by discussion of related ethical questions. Two significant ones were: Did the development of IVF justify the wastage of human embryos which made it possible? Was it justifiable to attempt human embryo transfer without laboratory studies to determine the safety of the technique? Thousands of births as a result of IVF have largely made these two questions moot. But four others remain: Is IVF immoral because it accomplishes procreation in a laboratory rather than through an act of marital union? Is it permissible to maximize the success …

Organ Procurement, Values And Public Policy, Ronald P. Hamel

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The success of organ transplants in recent years has created a shortage of transplantable cadaver organs. Voluntarism, the primary mode of organ procurement currently in use nationwide, appears to be no longer successful. Policy makers and others are examining alternatives to the current system, namely, presumed consent (routine salvaging) and required request. In this process, there is a danger in considering only the effectiveness of the means and neglecting the value and belief commitments that underlie them. These need to be brought to the surface because they ultimately contribute toward shaping the moral character of society. In this light, required …

Space-Time In The Creative Process, Kathleen Cooper

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

An inquiry about the nature of the universe and man's ability to perceive it: Do the concepts of time and space veil the realization of man's full potential and responsibility as a creative entity in a creative universe?

'T. C. Mits' And The Utility Of Science, Evan B. Hazard

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The general public, as well as many leaders of our society tend to view science as descriptive and to value science mainly for "practical" applications. Although technological implications are important, science cannot legitimately be considered primarily descriptive. Science is a creative activity, involving human judgment, and can most fruitfully be thought of as metaphor or play. The practical value of science, of the liberal arts in general, and of academe is that they provide the playful approach to experience which is a necessary basis for successful planning and action, and which makes us human.

Some Moral And Ethical Dilemmas Of Science In The 1970'S, Yvonne C. Condell

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Some critics of the scientific community - scientists and non-scientists - believe that scientists should become more socially responsible, that science should be tolerated only as long as its results are socially beneficial, and that science must be constitutionalized and controlled if it is not to destroy civilization.

Physicalism And Humanism, Robert Sheehan

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

In recent years philosophers have been discussing the pros and cons of the "Identity Hypothesis" of Herbert Feig! (Feig!, 1958). The Identity Hypothesis holds that feelings, expressed or described in phenomenalist language, are identical to brain states as described by rapidly developing neural science. The discussions abound with Ockham's Razor, attacks on and defenses of emergentism, and appeals to Turing Machines as analogues (Hook, 1960).

This paper does not propose to enter that particular dispute, although the author believes the Identity theorists have made the better case thus far. Rather, it is here proposed ,to widen the frame of reference …

Is There A Well Defined Scientific Method?, Ernan Mcmullin

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Does science follow some sort of standard procedure, something that can be specified and communicated? Three centuries ago, Francis Bacon prophesied confidently that such a procedure could be devised so that the whole business of science could be done "as though by machinery." In the years between, scientific research has grown from an obscure and unrecognized undertaking of a handful of virtuosos to a massive and concerted endeavor on the part of hundreds of thousands of persons . What has made such a fantastic expansion possible in such a short time? Is it that people have been taught the steps …

Is There A Well Defined Scientific Method?, Marquerite Foster

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The question "Is There A Well Defined Scientific Method?" can not be answered without taking into account the varying aims of scientific inquiry as conceived historically as well as within the framework of various sciences. The term "method" is also subject to ambiguity. The answer would seem to be negative, if we mean that there is a fixed set of well-established rules which if followed will lead to fruitful scientific results. It is positive, if we mean that science has developed fairly reliable patterns and criteria for acceptable explanatory laws and theories, experimental design, and observational confirmation, that are part …

Is There A Well Defined Scientific Method?, William R. Charlesworth

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The question "Is there a well defined scientific method?" can be answered in three ways: by referring to existing discourse on the nature of method; by pointing to concrete examples in which the method is applied in real life situations; and by creating a taxonomy of the behavioral and psychological operations that constitute the scientific process. The last way was proposed as the most fruitful of the three. Two major classes of operations and their subclasses were discussed, along with operations of thought and behavior that are antithetical to scientific method. The importance of the psychologist's contribution to answering philosophical …

Is There A Well Defined Scientific Method?, Russell K. Hobbie

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The traditional view of the scientific method is on oversimplification that ignores the vagaries of the creative process. Several examples that indicate the method is not infallible ore explored. The reasons why the misconception is so widespread ore discussed.