This is a process of harvesting cells that are already fertilized from the embryo of a human being. Undertaking this process denies the embryo a chance to develop (Zeinoaldini et al., 2013). These harvested stem cells have the potential to develop into cells that are specialized that can result in a variety of other tissues and organs. This is the reason as to why it has attracted the attention of many researchers and healthcare professionals. Embryo harvesting has raised a lot of ethical dilemmas since there are those people who are opposed to abortion, and there are those individuals who support abortion. Destroying a human embryo at that early stage is unethical.
Utilitarian theory of ethics insists that our actions should be geared at promoting the common good for the majority of people. Meaning that, our actions are morally correct if they lead to the happiness of other people (Albee, 2014, p.76). According to this theory, it is only permissible to take the life of a fetus if the mother's life is in danger. For the case of embryo harvesting, the existence of the mother is not in any danger. It is not ethical to terminate life at that early stage. This is just like killing. Ending life at that stage will make other people unhappy such as other family members and friends. This is against utilitarian ethics that is concerned with the happiness of other people.
According to me, embryo harvesting though it has some benefits, it is not proper to terminate life at that stage. No one has the right to take life; only God can do that. Embryo harvesting is therefore not correct.
Conclusively, embryo harvesting despite having some economic benefits, utilitarian ethics only advocates for abortion to be taken only if the life of fetus or mother is in danger. Abortion makes many people unhappy, and therefore embryo harvesting should not be encouraged.
References
Albee, E. (2014). A history of English utilitarianism (Vol. 1). Routledge. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZRlIAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=A+history+of+English+utilitarianism+&ots=KCIYBkMb6h&sig=c1ZinLHYYatQds4D8E-Z2MfXq_g&redir_esc=y#v=snippet&q=maximum%20utility%20of%20other%20people&f=false
Zeinoaldini, S., Jafari, Z., Sarmast, F., Torbati, E., & Davachi, N. D. (2013). Different Harvesting Techniques Used in Ovine in vitro Embryo Production.Scimetr, 1(1).
