The Ethics of Eating Human Fetuses

[mangxema]

An Oklahoma state senator has proposed a rather unusual law:

An Oklahoma Republican is pushing a bill to outlaw the use of human fetuses in food, because, as he says, “there is a potential that there are companies that are using aborted human babies in their research and development of basically enhancing flavor for artificial flavors.”

State Sen. Ralph Shortey introduced a bill on Tuesday “prohibiting the sale or manufacture of food or products which contain aborted human fetuses.”

Though he has allowed that he is not aware of this occurring in Oklahoma, or anywhere for that matter, Shortey cited research he did on the internet that claimed that some companies use embryonic stem cells to help develop artificial flavoring. “It would be a public relations nightmare for a company to use” aborted human fetuses for R&D, Shortey told KRMG Radio, so when asked they usually say something like “we strive to do things ethically.”

“I’m not entirely sure if there are any” companies doing this, he continued. “But the fact is that there is a potential that there are companies that are using aborted human babies in their research and development of basically enhancing flavor for artificial flavors. And if that is happening — because it is a possibility — and if it’s happening then I just don’t think it should even be an option for a company.”

...

“You may think it’s ethical to kill a child in the womb,” he said. “But the question now before us is: is it ethical to then use that aborted child for research and development to enhance flavors in food?”

This law is clearly going nowhere. Both the FDA and the anti-abortion group Oklahomans for Life have stated that they have no idea what he's talking about. And given the fact that the only 'info' that he seems to have on this is from the internet, I think it's safe to say that there is absolutely no risk to this practice actually happening.

However, it brings to mind a related thought. We kill animals for food all the time. I think most people would agree that walking around in the wilderness and shooting everything in sight (i.e., without any intention of utilizing the animals in any way) is a morally dubious thing to do. Food is ok, wanton killing is not.

So suppose someone has an abortion; would the act of eating a significant portion of the fetus change the ethics of the abortion in any way? Does making it less wasteful make it less bad? Discuss.

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Also, there are some good comments on that article:

Ah-ha! But he didn't propose a law keeping human fetuses out of dog and cat food, did he?!?! Why does he hate fetuses so much that he'd feed them to dogs and cats!!!

 

[Silurian]

Well some women and Tom Cruise eat the Placenta but I do not think it is that common.

This person obviously wants to be in the news, is he up for re-election?

 

[Traitorfish]

I don't see what difference it would make. It's just matter, like anything else you eat, so I quite sincerely do not understand how this could be an ethical issue regardless of your abortion politics.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

cited research he did on the internet

About as credible as claiming that ESCs are the same as fetuses. So how exactly do they use ESCs to research food flavoring? Need to verify.

 

[wolfigor]

Well some women and Tom Cruise eat the Placenta but I do not think it is that common.

according to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placentophagy

The placenta contains high levels of prostaglandin which stimulates involution (an inward curvature or penetration, or, a shrinking or return to a former size) of the uterus, in effect cleaning the uterus out. The placenta also contains small amounts of oxytocin which eases birth stress and causes the smooth muscles around the mammary cells to contract and eject milk.

Anyway it doesn't seems something common at all.
There is also very little science (in terms of controlled experiments) behind it.

 

[Yeekim]

However, it brings to mind a related thought. We kill animals for food all the time. I think most people would agree that walking around in the wilderness and shooting everything in sight (i.e., without any intention of utilizing the animals in any way) is a morally dubious thing to do. Food is ok, wanton killing is not.

So suppose someone has an abortion; would the act of eating a significant portion of the fetus change the ethics of the abortion in any way? Does making it less wasteful make it less bad? Discuss.

That comparison is bad.
Wanting to eat the proceeds is not an acceptable reason for an abortion. Except to save oneself from dying out of starvation, which I don't think is a feasible scenario.
Eating the proceeds after an abortion has been committed for any other reason can't retroactively change the morality of the act.

Now excuse me, I feel a little sick.

 

[warpus]

I'm sure this is an important issue in this guy's state.

 

[amadeus]

But if there's no regulation against it, foodmakers will put fetusus in our food all the time!

 

[Traitorfish]

That comparison is bad.
Wanting to eat the proceeds is not an acceptable reason for an abortion. Except to save oneself from dying out of starvation, which I don't think is a feasible scenario.
Eating the proceeds after an abortion has been committed for any other reason can't retroactively change the morality of the act.

Well, I'd say that you have this precisely upside down; that wanting to eat the proceeds is as good a reason for an abortion as any other, but that it doesn't cut it when comes to things that actually possess a subjective being. So I don't think you can pose this as self-evident.

 

[Angst]

It feels wrong to me to eat fetuses, so even thought it's pragmatically fine, I don't want to and don't appreciate if people do. I think of fetuses as human flesh - much like skin, or arms, or legs - but not humans, therefore I don't care much for abortion. But I still think it's cannibalist as I think eating human flesh is cannibalist, and I don't like cannibalism.

Also, I wouldn't feed human flesh to animals generally, so feeding it to pets isn't a good thing to me either.

 

[Narz]

Just another reason not to eat artificial colors & flavors.

Though personally I think eating fetuses (which would otherwise just be wasted) is more ethical than eating factory-farmed animals.

 

[bhsup]

Oh God, I cannot believe there is a bill and thread about this. *shudder* It's freaking cannibalism.

 

[Traitorfish]

I sincerely don't see what's wrong with cannibalism that isn't wrong with eating any other kind of meat. Would somebody be able to explain it to me, or...?

 

[bhsup]

Other than a visceral gut-reaction gross out OMG IT'S HORRIBLY WRONG feeling I get when I think of cannibalism, I cannot really give you any logical fact based reason why you shouldn't eat a dead person. Sorry.

 

[Dida]

I sincerely don't see what's wrong with cannibalism that isn't wrong with eating any other kind of meat. Would somebody be able to explain it to me, or...?

I sincerely don't see what's wrong with squashing you into pieces that isn't wrong with squashing a housefly or a bacterium. Would somebody be able to explain to me, or...?

 

[amadeus]

I sincerely don't see what's wrong with squashing you into pieces that isn't wrong with squashing a housefly or a bacterium. Would somebody be able to explain to me, or...?

Well, you would be initiating unjust force against Traitorfish. He did not say that killing someone to eat was justified.

 

[Tarquelne]

I sincerely don't see what's wrong with cannibalism that isn't wrong with eating any other kind of meat. Would somebody be able to explain it to me, or...?

There some unique health risks.
It may encourage homicidal behavior.
It's likely to perceived by some as disrespectful or even blasphemous.

A more interesting ethical question is:

Papal cannibalism! Which is worse - the Pope eating people, or people eating the Pope?

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

There are practical reasons. Pretty bad idea to eat something that shares 100% of your communicable diseases. Not to mention the inefficient production.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Well cannibalism is biologically risky. Most germs and parasites are specie-specific so eating human eat means you are exposed to every and all disease that human had. In fact even most animals only practice cannibalism as last resort. You will hardly see a lion eating other lion even when male lions kill other male's kitten they never eat them. Instinct says them (and us) it is "wrong" for a reason. Surely natural selection has something to do with this almost universal repugnance towards cannibalism.

Crosspost...

 

[bhsup]

Well cannibalism is biologically risky. Most germs and parasites are specie-specific so eating human eat means you are exposed to every and all disease that human had. In fact even most animals only practice cannibalism as last resort. You will hardly see a lion eating other lion even when male lions kill other male kitten they never eat them. Our instinct says them (and us) it is "wrong" for a reason. Surely natural selection has something to do with this almost universal repugnance on cannibalism.

Crosspost...

Other than a visceral gut-reaction gross out OMG IT'S HORRIBLY WRONG feeling I get when I think of cannibalism, I cannot really give you any logical fact based reason why you shouldn't eat a dead person. Sorry.

So that was just my honed instincts kicking in to protect my health? That's almost disappointing in a way. Surely there's a moral argument to be made as well...