1. Be ready to justify your answers!
“Killing is wrong”
Who would agree?
(A) Jeremy Bentham
(B) John Stuart Mill
(C)  Thomas Aquinas
(D) Jesus
(E)  Moses
Joseph Fletcher
Aristotle
Kant
Be ready to justify your answers!

2. Objectives Know the meaning of key words and concepts
Understand what is involved in the different embryo procedures
Evaluate different responses to the question “what is an embryo”?

3. The Beginning of Life – what’s the big deal?
This is a big ethical issue today because when most ethical theories were written (100+ years ago), the beginning of life was very simple – a baby was born. But modern technology now means that what once seemed very clearcut has become very uncertain. For religious people, the commandment not to kill used to be very easy to apply. But with embryos, it is difficult to tell whether we are killing a person or just discarding tissue.

4. Key Terms (and maybe a reminder of some basic biology?!)
Fertilisation – the point at which the sperm penetrates the egg
Implantation – the point at which the fertilised egg implants into the wall of the mother’s womb (usually about 5 days after fertilisation)
Conception – a term used mainly in religious and ethical debates (rather than by medical professionals). Can refer to fertilisation or implantation.
Embryo – from fertilisation to 8 weeks of pregnancy
Foetus – from 8 weeks till birth

5. Ethical Issues – what happens during these procedures?
Abortion
IVF and destruction of embryos
Embryo research
Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
Stem cells and cord blood

14. 4 weeks after conception
Is this a person?
Is it OK to kill it?

15. 8 weeks after conception
Is this a person?
Is it OK to kill it?

16. 12 weeks after conception
Is this a person?
Is it OK to kill it?

17. 16 weeks after conception
Is this a person?
Is it OK to kill it?

18. 20 weeks after conception
Is this a person?
Is it OK to kill it?

19. 24 weeks after conception
Is this a person?
Is it OK to kill it?

20. 28 weeks after conception
Is this a person?
Is it OK to kill it?

21. 32 weeks after conception
Is this a person?
Is it OK to kill it?

22. 36 weeks after conception
Is this a person?
Is it OK to kill it?

23. What is the destruction of an embryo like?
Cutting off a toenail?
Using the morning-after pill?
Disposing of medical waste (removed tumours and amputated limbs)?
Murdering a baby?
Get ready to justify your answers!

24. The Moral Status of the Embryo
There are lots of possible answers to this issue. Read through the responses on the sheet and answer the questions.

25. Objectives Know the meaning of key words and concepts
Understand what is involved in the different embryo procedures
Evaluate different responses to the question “what is an embryo”?