Minnesota journal of law, science & technology, 2007
In August 2000, I received a phone call from Michael West, President and Chief Scientific Officer... more In August 2000, I received a phone call from Michael West, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), a small Massachusetts biotech company. West told me that ACT was about to embark on a program of research involving the use of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), also called therapeutic or research cloning, for the purpose of creating immunologically compatible embryonic stem cell lines. He wanted to know whether I was interested in serving as Chair of an Ethics Advisory Board (EAB) that ACT was setting up to provide guidance for its research. Thus began an adventure that continues to occupy my time seven years later. Like all adventures, it has had its emotional highs and lows: moments of exhilarating accomplishment and others of seeming failure. Among them: the year-long collaborative effort of setting up the world's first SCNT research egg donor program and watching the first eggs arrive for cloning experiments; 1 the November 2001 announcement of the creation of the world's first cloned human embryo; 2 and then days later, a bitter controversy over whether the announcement was premature in terms of its
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Sep 10, 2020
A published study reported by Munné using uterine lavage to retrieve in vivo blastocysts for prei... more A published study reported by Munné using uterine lavage to retrieve in vivo blastocysts for preimplantation genetic testing has been the subject of several technical and ethical critiques. None of these critiques has been based on a review of the study's IRBapproved informed consent. This commentary seeks to do that, examining the Munné (and related Nadal) consent forms for their conformity to existing requirements for a full and informed consent.
... Identification of and reflection on the various facets of a dilemma is a useful process if th... more ... Identification of and reflection on the various facets of a dilemma is a useful process if that reflection leads ... The view that "ultimately there is no theoretical COrl~ict" The inescapable need for a higher order resolution of the theoretical debate leads to a second major approach to ...
The editors of the JRE solicited short essays on the COVID‐19 pandemic from a group of scholars o... more The editors of the JRE solicited short essays on the COVID‐19 pandemic from a group of scholars of religious ethics that reflected on how the field might help them make sense of the complex religious, cultural, ethical, and political implications of the pandemic, and on how the pandemic might shape the future of religious ethics.
The claim that “Everyone's doing it” is frequently offered as a reason for engaging in behavi... more The claim that “Everyone's doing it” is frequently offered as a reason for engaging in behavior that is widespread but less-than-ideal. This is particularly true in business, where competitors’ conduct often forces hard choices on managers. When is the claim “Everyone's doing it” a morally valid reason for following others’ lead? This discussion proposes and develops five prima facie conditions to identify when the existence of prevalent but otherwise undesirable behavior provides a moral justification for our engaging in such behavior ourselves. The balance of the discussion focuses on testing these conditions by applying them to a series of representative cases in business ethics.
T he consideration of ethics in research, and in general business for that matter, is of growing ... more T he consideration of ethics in research, and in general business for that matter, is of growing importance. It is, therefore, critical that you understand the basics of ethical research and how this might affect your research project. This is especially important if your research involves interaction with businesses or members of the general community who serve as participants (i.e., respondents) in your research. There are a range of interactions in your research that might occur, including in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, or even observing people's behavior. Though all researchers (student, professional, or academic) are well intentioned, there is the possibility that interaction with participants may inadvertently harm them in some unintended way. This could include • Psychological harm-for example, researching the use of nudity in advertising may show participants images that offend them. • Financial harm-researching unethical behavior within a given firm may provide management with information on individual employees that results in an individual getting fired, or undertaking industrybased research may inadvertently share sensitive information with a firm's competitors, resulting in financial harm to the organization. • Social harm-researching how lifestyle affects consumption may unintentionally disclose a person's sexual orientation when that person wanted to keep this confidential. It is your responsibility to consider whether any type of harm could occur when you plan your research and to ensure that mechanisms are instituted to remove it. It is, therefore, essential that you carefully evaluate the potential for harm to arise and ensure that you (a) behave according to appropriate ethical standards; (b) consider how your research might negatively affect participants; and (c) protect yourself, your supervisors/teachers, and your institution from being placed in situations in which individuals could make claims of inappropriate behavior, resulting in public criticism or even your being sued. Unfortunately, there is an increasing amount of litigation in the world and many universities have processes in place for vetting research to ensure that it is 53 5
To determine the opinions of assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinic directors on accessto-... more To determine the opinions of assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinic directors on accessto-services issues and to compare these opinions with policy at ART clinics. Design: Survey sent to ART clinic directors. Setting: Academic medical center, university-based ethics institute. Patient(s): None. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Assisted reproductive technology directors' opinions about access to services are related to specific clinic policies. Access issues examined include patient attributes (marital status, age, sexual preference), patient behaviors (substance abuse, psychiatric history, child abuse), number of cycles, and types of procedures offered (surrogacy, cloning, ova cryopreservation, ART for HIV-positive individuals). Result(s): Provider opinion was more restrictive than clinic policy in 19 of 20 categories measured. The largest difference between opinion and policy was seen on the question of setting restrictions as to age of the male partner. About 20% of directors think that surrogacy for convenience should be allowed: about 10% of directors think cloning of human beings should be offered. Conclusion(s): The opinions of ART directors on access to services are more conservative than clinic policies. Contributing factors may include respect for patient autonomy; fear of litigation; policy that reflects a continuum of beliefs among providers; and economic pressure to offer a broad range of procedures.
Although we need the good witness of others to form our best selves, an argument can be made that... more Although we need the good witness of others to form our best selves, an argument can be made that we need to study the dark side of the equation as well. The understanding and analysis of bad leaders/misleaders is an important component of leadership studies. However, we argue that bad leaders should never be defined as leaders. Leadership aims at the good of its communities, while misleaders do not. Ethics, therefore, is not only essential to the practice of leadership but to the very meaning of the term.
Kant believes that the concepts of a just and compassionate God and the life beyond death spring ... more Kant believes that the concepts of a just and compassionate God and the life beyond death spring from our rational need to unite happiness with virtue. But since Kant had banished happiness from any place in moral reasoning, his philosophy of religion have been deemed as not merely discontinuous with his ethics but radically opposed to it. This article tries to argue against this apparent inconsistency and show that Kant’s philosophy of religion is in fact based firmly on his ethical reasoning.
Encyclopedia of Ethical, Legal and Policy Issues in Biotechnology, 2002
Introduction Background Definitions Embryo Conception/Fertilization Human Description Why Conduct... more Introduction Background Definitions Embryo Conception/Fertilization Human Description Why Conduct Human Embryo Research? Limits of Animal Models Assisted Reproduction Implantation Research Normal/Abnormal Development Genetic Diagnosis Cell Differentiation Laws and Regulations Other Countries Areas of Agreement U.S. State Law Early Federal Initiatives Human Embryo Research Panel Subsequent Developments Ethical Issues Range of Views Genetic Individuality and Moral Status Biological Problems Personhood Views Symbolic Concerns Public Policy Public Reasoning Policy Analysis Policy Conclusions Special Questions Time Limits Intent to Transfer Philosophical Complexities Donor Rights and Donor Sources Commercialization “Spare” versus “Research Embryos” Moral Issues Scientific Issues Keywords: human subjects research; ethics
In 2001, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Human Cloning Prohibition Act&... more In 2001, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Human Cloning Prohibition Act" and President Bush announced his decision to allow only limited research on existing stem cell lines but not on "embryos." In contrast, the U.K. has explicitly authorized "therapeutic cloning." Much more will be said about bioethical, legal, and social implications, but subtleties of the science and careful definitions of terms have received much less consideration. Legislators and reporters struggle to discuss "cloning," "pluripotency," "stem cells," and "embryos," and whether "adult" are preferable to "embryonic" stem cells as research subjects. They profess to abhor "copying humans" or "killing embryos." Do they know what they are talking about? Do we? This paper explores the historical, philosophical, and scientific contexts that inform this heated discussion.
Abstract Various successes in regenerative medicine by therapeutic cloning have given rise to exp... more Abstract Various successes in regenerative medicine by therapeutic cloning have given rise to expectations that treatments will soon be developed for incurable diseases. But using embryonic stem cells for this purpose raises many ethical dilemmas including those about ...
Early last year, the GenEthics Consortium (GEC) of the Washington Metropolitan Area convened at G... more Early last year, the GenEthics Consortium (GEC) of the Washington Metropolitan Area convened at George Washington University to consider a complex case about genetic testing for Alzheimer disease (AD). The GEC consists of scientists, bioethicists, lawyers, genetic counselors, and consumers from a variety of institutions and affiliations. Four of the 8 co-authors of this paper delivered presentations on the case. Supplemented by additional ethical and legal observations, these presentations form the basis for the following discussion.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2001
Our goal was to investigate policy on patient access to services at assisted reproductive technol... more Our goal was to investigate policy on patient access to services at assisted reproductive technology clinics in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Surveys asked about a variety of ethically and socially challenging cases and were mailed to directors of all Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology-associated assisted reproductive technology clinics. RESULTS: Written policies on access to services are present at 40% of assisted reproductive technology clinics. Universal agreement was not found on any issue; 79% of clinics treat single women, 27% treat patients with a history of schizophrenia, 10% treat patients who use alcohol excessively, 7% treat human immunodeficiency virus-positive women, and 2% would treat patients previously convicted of child abuse. A breakdown of the responses indicated that some clinics are more permissive in terms of access to services than others, whereas some are more restrictive. The data demonstrate considerable variability in policy among clinics on most access-toservices questions. The results highlight the importance of ongoing discussion of the ethical and legal issues related to access and the need to develop consistent methods to deal with complex cases. (
Minnesota journal of law, science & technology, 2007
In August 2000, I received a phone call from Michael West, President and Chief Scientific Officer... more In August 2000, I received a phone call from Michael West, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), a small Massachusetts biotech company. West told me that ACT was about to embark on a program of research involving the use of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), also called therapeutic or research cloning, for the purpose of creating immunologically compatible embryonic stem cell lines. He wanted to know whether I was interested in serving as Chair of an Ethics Advisory Board (EAB) that ACT was setting up to provide guidance for its research. Thus began an adventure that continues to occupy my time seven years later. Like all adventures, it has had its emotional highs and lows: moments of exhilarating accomplishment and others of seeming failure. Among them: the year-long collaborative effort of setting up the world's first SCNT research egg donor program and watching the first eggs arrive for cloning experiments; 1 the November 2001 announcement of the creation of the world's first cloned human embryo; 2 and then days later, a bitter controversy over whether the announcement was premature in terms of its
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Sep 10, 2020
A published study reported by Munné using uterine lavage to retrieve in vivo blastocysts for prei... more A published study reported by Munné using uterine lavage to retrieve in vivo blastocysts for preimplantation genetic testing has been the subject of several technical and ethical critiques. None of these critiques has been based on a review of the study's IRBapproved informed consent. This commentary seeks to do that, examining the Munné (and related Nadal) consent forms for their conformity to existing requirements for a full and informed consent.
... Identification of and reflection on the various facets of a dilemma is a useful process if th... more ... Identification of and reflection on the various facets of a dilemma is a useful process if that reflection leads ... The view that "ultimately there is no theoretical COrl~ict" The inescapable need for a higher order resolution of the theoretical debate leads to a second major approach to ...
The editors of the JRE solicited short essays on the COVID‐19 pandemic from a group of scholars o... more The editors of the JRE solicited short essays on the COVID‐19 pandemic from a group of scholars of religious ethics that reflected on how the field might help them make sense of the complex religious, cultural, ethical, and political implications of the pandemic, and on how the pandemic might shape the future of religious ethics.
The claim that “Everyone's doing it” is frequently offered as a reason for engaging in behavi... more The claim that “Everyone's doing it” is frequently offered as a reason for engaging in behavior that is widespread but less-than-ideal. This is particularly true in business, where competitors’ conduct often forces hard choices on managers. When is the claim “Everyone's doing it” a morally valid reason for following others’ lead? This discussion proposes and develops five prima facie conditions to identify when the existence of prevalent but otherwise undesirable behavior provides a moral justification for our engaging in such behavior ourselves. The balance of the discussion focuses on testing these conditions by applying them to a series of representative cases in business ethics.
T he consideration of ethics in research, and in general business for that matter, is of growing ... more T he consideration of ethics in research, and in general business for that matter, is of growing importance. It is, therefore, critical that you understand the basics of ethical research and how this might affect your research project. This is especially important if your research involves interaction with businesses or members of the general community who serve as participants (i.e., respondents) in your research. There are a range of interactions in your research that might occur, including in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, or even observing people's behavior. Though all researchers (student, professional, or academic) are well intentioned, there is the possibility that interaction with participants may inadvertently harm them in some unintended way. This could include • Psychological harm-for example, researching the use of nudity in advertising may show participants images that offend them. • Financial harm-researching unethical behavior within a given firm may provide management with information on individual employees that results in an individual getting fired, or undertaking industrybased research may inadvertently share sensitive information with a firm's competitors, resulting in financial harm to the organization. • Social harm-researching how lifestyle affects consumption may unintentionally disclose a person's sexual orientation when that person wanted to keep this confidential. It is your responsibility to consider whether any type of harm could occur when you plan your research and to ensure that mechanisms are instituted to remove it. It is, therefore, essential that you carefully evaluate the potential for harm to arise and ensure that you (a) behave according to appropriate ethical standards; (b) consider how your research might negatively affect participants; and (c) protect yourself, your supervisors/teachers, and your institution from being placed in situations in which individuals could make claims of inappropriate behavior, resulting in public criticism or even your being sued. Unfortunately, there is an increasing amount of litigation in the world and many universities have processes in place for vetting research to ensure that it is 53 5
To determine the opinions of assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinic directors on accessto-... more To determine the opinions of assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinic directors on accessto-services issues and to compare these opinions with policy at ART clinics. Design: Survey sent to ART clinic directors. Setting: Academic medical center, university-based ethics institute. Patient(s): None. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Assisted reproductive technology directors' opinions about access to services are related to specific clinic policies. Access issues examined include patient attributes (marital status, age, sexual preference), patient behaviors (substance abuse, psychiatric history, child abuse), number of cycles, and types of procedures offered (surrogacy, cloning, ova cryopreservation, ART for HIV-positive individuals). Result(s): Provider opinion was more restrictive than clinic policy in 19 of 20 categories measured. The largest difference between opinion and policy was seen on the question of setting restrictions as to age of the male partner. About 20% of directors think that surrogacy for convenience should be allowed: about 10% of directors think cloning of human beings should be offered. Conclusion(s): The opinions of ART directors on access to services are more conservative than clinic policies. Contributing factors may include respect for patient autonomy; fear of litigation; policy that reflects a continuum of beliefs among providers; and economic pressure to offer a broad range of procedures.
Although we need the good witness of others to form our best selves, an argument can be made that... more Although we need the good witness of others to form our best selves, an argument can be made that we need to study the dark side of the equation as well. The understanding and analysis of bad leaders/misleaders is an important component of leadership studies. However, we argue that bad leaders should never be defined as leaders. Leadership aims at the good of its communities, while misleaders do not. Ethics, therefore, is not only essential to the practice of leadership but to the very meaning of the term.
Kant believes that the concepts of a just and compassionate God and the life beyond death spring ... more Kant believes that the concepts of a just and compassionate God and the life beyond death spring from our rational need to unite happiness with virtue. But since Kant had banished happiness from any place in moral reasoning, his philosophy of religion have been deemed as not merely discontinuous with his ethics but radically opposed to it. This article tries to argue against this apparent inconsistency and show that Kant’s philosophy of religion is in fact based firmly on his ethical reasoning.
Encyclopedia of Ethical, Legal and Policy Issues in Biotechnology, 2002
Introduction Background Definitions Embryo Conception/Fertilization Human Description Why Conduct... more Introduction Background Definitions Embryo Conception/Fertilization Human Description Why Conduct Human Embryo Research? Limits of Animal Models Assisted Reproduction Implantation Research Normal/Abnormal Development Genetic Diagnosis Cell Differentiation Laws and Regulations Other Countries Areas of Agreement U.S. State Law Early Federal Initiatives Human Embryo Research Panel Subsequent Developments Ethical Issues Range of Views Genetic Individuality and Moral Status Biological Problems Personhood Views Symbolic Concerns Public Policy Public Reasoning Policy Analysis Policy Conclusions Special Questions Time Limits Intent to Transfer Philosophical Complexities Donor Rights and Donor Sources Commercialization “Spare” versus “Research Embryos” Moral Issues Scientific Issues Keywords: human subjects research; ethics
In 2001, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Human Cloning Prohibition Act&... more In 2001, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Human Cloning Prohibition Act" and President Bush announced his decision to allow only limited research on existing stem cell lines but not on "embryos." In contrast, the U.K. has explicitly authorized "therapeutic cloning." Much more will be said about bioethical, legal, and social implications, but subtleties of the science and careful definitions of terms have received much less consideration. Legislators and reporters struggle to discuss "cloning," "pluripotency," "stem cells," and "embryos," and whether "adult" are preferable to "embryonic" stem cells as research subjects. They profess to abhor "copying humans" or "killing embryos." Do they know what they are talking about? Do we? This paper explores the historical, philosophical, and scientific contexts that inform this heated discussion.
Abstract Various successes in regenerative medicine by therapeutic cloning have given rise to exp... more Abstract Various successes in regenerative medicine by therapeutic cloning have given rise to expectations that treatments will soon be developed for incurable diseases. But using embryonic stem cells for this purpose raises many ethical dilemmas including those about ...
Early last year, the GenEthics Consortium (GEC) of the Washington Metropolitan Area convened at G... more Early last year, the GenEthics Consortium (GEC) of the Washington Metropolitan Area convened at George Washington University to consider a complex case about genetic testing for Alzheimer disease (AD). The GEC consists of scientists, bioethicists, lawyers, genetic counselors, and consumers from a variety of institutions and affiliations. Four of the 8 co-authors of this paper delivered presentations on the case. Supplemented by additional ethical and legal observations, these presentations form the basis for the following discussion.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2001
Our goal was to investigate policy on patient access to services at assisted reproductive technol... more Our goal was to investigate policy on patient access to services at assisted reproductive technology clinics in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Surveys asked about a variety of ethically and socially challenging cases and were mailed to directors of all Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology-associated assisted reproductive technology clinics. RESULTS: Written policies on access to services are present at 40% of assisted reproductive technology clinics. Universal agreement was not found on any issue; 79% of clinics treat single women, 27% treat patients with a history of schizophrenia, 10% treat patients who use alcohol excessively, 7% treat human immunodeficiency virus-positive women, and 2% would treat patients previously convicted of child abuse. A breakdown of the responses indicated that some clinics are more permissive in terms of access to services than others, whereas some are more restrictive. The data demonstrate considerable variability in policy among clinics on most access-toservices questions. The results highlight the importance of ongoing discussion of the ethical and legal issues related to access and the need to develop consistent methods to deal with complex cases. (
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Papers by Ronald Green