Dr. Irving's professional activities include teaching positions at Georgetown University, Catholic University of America, and The Dominican House of Studies. She represented the Catholic Medical Association of the United States, and the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, at the Scientific Conference in Mexico City, Mexico, October 28, 1999 and presented a paper on "The Dignity and Status of the Human Embryo". Dr. Irving is a former career-appointed bench research biochemist/biologist (NIH, NCI, Bethesda, MD), an M.A. and Ph.D. philosopher (Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.), and Professor of the History of Philosophy, and of Medical Ethics.
See also: Dr. Irving's commentaries on this site.
Contact: DNIrving@aol.com
When and how did you begin to exist? Or your children? Given the amazing advancements of science and medicine over the past 100 years, one would think that even the average person in the street -- even elementary school students -- would know the accurate scientific facts of their own reproduction by now. Why the confusion?
Date posted: 2013-05-11
When and how did you begin to exist? Or your children? Given the amazing advancements of science and medicine over the past 100 years, one would think that even the average person in the street -- even elementary school students -- would know the accurate scientific facts of their own reproduction by now. Why the confusion?
Date posted: 2013-05-11
Summary: It is frankly mind-blowing that there is even a question about whether or not the "emergency contraceptive" Plan B can be abortifacient. Does no one read the manufacturer's own website?
Date posted: 2013-04-29
Summary: FACTS: Plan B does not "prevent a pregnancy". It is an abortifacient. And it causes death, disease and injury to women and girls and to their unborn children. (But shhhh, don't tell anybody; it's a secret!)
Date posted: 2013-04-06
The term "conception" as used by some in the debates involving the early human embryo is completely different from the term as used in the official teachings of the Catholic Church on the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
Date posted: 2013-01-26
When erroneous science, usually called "scientific fraud", is knowingly used in any endeavor it is bad enough. But when such erroneous science is knowingly used in any legal laws, regulations, guidelines, etc., the fraud becomes legalized and the deadly consequences are considerably magnified. Regardless if the term "conception" or "fertilization" is used, even the new bill's title would provide "sanctity" to some but not to all human lives.
Date posted: 2013-01-17
Summary: For St. Thomas, "personhood" is not a "meaning"; nor does he or Aristotle use terms such as "unfolding" or "horizons" (modern phenomenology). For Thomas "person" applies to real human beings only -- not to communities, robots or posthumans. To paraphrase Thomas, the name of "person"(and he uses that term) does not belong to the rational part of the soul, nor to the whole soul alone -- but to the entire human substance (or, subsistens). [Thomas Aquinas, ST, Ia.q29, a.1, ans., ad.2,3,5, p. 156; ibid, a.2, ans., p. 157; also ST, IIIa.q19, a.1, ad.4.2127]
Date posted: 2013-01-01