Cloned Instincts

692 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The biology of language acquisition

Matt Ridley argues in his essay, "Genome" written in 1999, that there exists a genetic basis for language acquisition. The essay, "A Clone Is Born," written by Gina Kolata, presents numerous view points on the issues of human cloning. Although both essays maintain significant and valid concerns about the use of genes, they conclude on two distinct concepts.

Kolata presents views of many experts without positioning herself in either side. She explains that the ability to clone living beings has staggering consequences. Cloning brings out questions about whether we are our genes or what makes us us. It also makes us question our ethics and beliefs. People fear the destruction of individuality and oppose the idea of playing God. Cloning is thought to be a violation of a human dignity. Through cloning, which poses danger of self-idolization and morality, the concept of self-surrender is lost. Although dignity does not have a clear definition in Kolata's essay, it still holds a foremost view on people.

A Lutheran theologian, Gilbert Meilaender, states that cloning would be "a new and decisive turn on this road." This idea explains that cloning results in the production, rather than the creation of a child. A child is known to be as a product of human will. Today, people have the freedom of using infertility and want children that can resemble to them. Yet, people are terrified of seeing their genetic replicas born again. Parents do want to create perfects kids but from this idea rises many questions such as how far will parents go? Kolata states in her essay that since people believe in individuality it would be unethical to create a clone without any uniqueness. Another factor of reproduction is the survival of the species. If cloning was to be introduced to society as an option, extinction of species would be solved.

Kolata represents in her essay the positive possibilities of cloning. She states that cloning can create animals whose organs are perfect genetic matches for humans. Creating animals with cells that are coated with human proteins could be used for transplantation. These organs with human protein can save millions of lives. Cloning can also be used to make animals that are living drug factories. Scientists could insert genes into cells that would force the cells to make valuable drugs, such as clotting. Zoologists can be able to clone animals that are on the verge of extinction.

Show More
Related

  • The Permissable Nature of Cloning Illustrated in Jennifer and Rachel by ” Lee M. Silver

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    Silver’s argument illustrates to his audience that reproductive cloning is permissible, but most people in today’s society frown upon reproductive cloning and don’t accept it. He believes that each individual has the right to whether or not they would want to participate in reproductive cloning because it is their reproductive right. However, those who participate in cloning run the risk of other’s imposing on their reproductive rights, but the risk would be worth it to have their own child.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Therapeutic Cloning

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    Therapeutic cloning is the process whereby parts of a human body are grown independently from a body from STEM cells collected from embryos for the purpose of using these parts to replace dysfunctional ones in living humans. Therapeutic Cloning is an important contemporary issue as the technology required to conduct Therapeutic Cloning is coming, with cloning having been successfully conducted on Dolly the sheep. This process is controversial as in the process of collecting STEM cells from an embryo, the embryo will be killed. Many groups, institutions and religions see this as completely unacceptable, as they see the embryo as a human life. Whereas other groups believe that this is acceptable as they do not believe that the embryo is a human life, as well as the fact that this process will greatly benefit a large number of people. In this essay I will compare the view of Christianity who are against Therapeutic Cloning with Utilitarianism who are in favour of Therapeutic Cloning.

    Read More

  • Can Cloning and Christianity Coexist

    3328 Words  | 7 Pages

    Cloning is an exciting and ongoing field of study with many great possibilities, and negative drawbacks; this leaves many Christians wrestling with the idea of cloning, trying to decide where to stand on, for or against it. To follow, in the paper is an explanation of what cloning is and the uses of cloning at the present and projected in the future. After that the focus will be on the problems with cloning from a non-ethical stance. Finally the issue of cloning and Christian’s views on it will be addressed.

    Read More

  • Clonng: Who's a copycat

    1666 Words  | 4 Pages

    Another perk to cloning is that we could possibly alter animals to give more effective products, or more desirable products. For example a herd of sheep in Montreal have a gene in their DNA that lets them produce spider silk through their milk. It is said that bulletproof vests can be made from this silk. Just imagine the possibilities if we were able to create such animals. By using the cloning process, they can make many products that can be helpful to the environment and the people.

    Read More

  • The Injustice Of Cloning In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Cloning represents a very clear, powerful, and immediate example in which we are in danger of turning procreation into manufacture.” (Kass) The concept of cloning continues to evoke debate, raising extensive ethical and moral controversy. As humans delve into the fields of science and technology, cloning, although once considered infeasible, could now become a reality. Although many see this advancement as the perfect solution to our modern dilemmas, from offering a potential cure for cancer, AIDS, and other irremediable diseases, its effects are easily forgotten. Cloning, especially when concerning humans, is not the direction we must pursue in enhancing our lives. It is impossible for us to predict its effects, it exhausts monetary funds, and it harshly abases humanity.

    Read More

  • The Positive Potential of Human Cloning

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    .... Until a successful attempt of creating life emerges in upcoming history, the possibility of cloning may never reveal its truth. Matters of opinion judge the positive and negative outcomes of artificial animal reproduction, and numerous instances prove its everlasting positive outlook for world community, science, and theology.

    Read More

  • Is Cloning Ethical or Unethical?

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...f marriage and parenthood. Cloning is yet another blow to the unity which should exist in Christian marriage. Cloning subjects a human person to being treated as a thing. Cloning a child is an expensive technological project, prone to "quality control." Treating persons as things has become commonplace in our society, but the practice is always destructive and immoral (All.org).

    Read More

  • Human Cloning In Frankenstein

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    But on the contrary, many scientists believe that cloning can be such a positive achievement, not only for medical purposes, but for fighting extinction. For example, what if they could clone many of the endangered species that exist today? There are very few hundred of many beautiful animals that if something isn’t done to save them, they will be extinct in a few years. So if scientists could successfully clone and create these endangered species, although it would still depend on the clone maturing correctly and being able to reproduce successfully, it could be a great

    Read More

  • Kant Cloning Theory

    2573 Words  | 6 Pages

    In this case, this will be the beginning of human degradation because clones will be treated as commodities or purchased products. Although couples commonly have babies for purposes such as improving a marriage or continuing a family name, human clones can possibly serve as savior siblings or replacements. Savior siblings will only function as spare parts, while a replacement child stands in a shadow of their deceased clone. They represent means to an end by being forced into existence for a sole purpose to alleviate pain and misery from the preexisting. In my opinion, reproductive cloning will turn into a game for the countless number of egotistical people that our society obtains. As irrational as this may be, human cells will eventually be sold, so other people can produce babies that resemble past legends, or current superstars, and even dead geniuses. From the article by Philip Kitcher in the Science, Ethics, and Public Policy of Human Cloning book, the author recognized how prevalent cloning will become when commenters ventured how legitimate it would be to clone Einstein. He indicated, “Polls showed that Mother Teresa was the most popular choice for person-to-be-cloned, although a film star (Michelle Pfeiffer) was not far behind, and Bill and Hilary Clinton obtained some support〖."〗^7The quote signifies how cloning will eventually convert into a luxury to please peoples’ irrational means, increasing the chances for people to be equated to their genetic determinism. Kant identifies humans as authors to the moral law because of our possession of human dignity. According to Devolder’s article, “UNESCO's Universal

    Read More

  • Morality of Cloning

    1537 Words  | 4 Pages

    In conclusion, it is clear to see that cloning is not the taboo it has been made out to be. It is a new boundary that humanity has never encountered before and so it is understandable that people have qualms about ‘playing God’ by shaping a life. Although some might argue that it is immoral to clone human beings, the truth is that it is unethical not to. Given that such technology has the potential to save millions upon millions of lives, not tapping into that industry would have dire consequences on the future. In this case, the ends more certainly justify the means.

    Read More

  • The Science of Cloning

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the essay, Cloning Reality: Brave New World by Wesley J. Smith, a skewed view of the effects of cloning is presented. Wesley feels that cloning will end the perception of human life as sacred and ruin the great diversity that exists today. He feels that cloning may in fact, end human society as we know it, and create a horrible place where humans are simply a resource. I disagree with Wesley because I think that the positive effects of controlled human cloning can greatly improve the quality of life for humans today, and that these benefits far outweigh the potential drawbacks that could occur if cloning was misused.

    Read More

  • The Cloning Debate

    1026 Words  | 3 Pages

    With a scenario as presented above, cloning might seem like the answer to hundreds of lives taken at the expense of uncontrollable forces.  But is there another side to the story?  Isn't there always?  Professor Kevin Williams of Georgetown University is still depicting the ambiguity of this topic when he states, "Like Adam and Eve, we want to be God, to be in control.  The question is, what are the limits?" (U.S. News World Report).  Making an identical copy of another human being is a rather drastic move, a move that in most people's eyes can only be carried through by God.  Some deem that cloning would put us in the shoes of God.  They believe that instead of God creating life, we would.  Some professors beg to differ, like David Fletcher of Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL who argues, "It is still only God who creates life."

    Read More

  • Human Cloning

    1801 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the article that I chose there are two opposing viewpoints on the issue of “Should Human Cloning Ever Be Permitted?” John A. Robertson is an attorney who argues that there are many potential benefits of cloning and that a ban on privately funded cloning research is unjustified and that this type of research should only be regulated. On the flip side of this issue Attorney and medical ethicist George J. Annas argues that cloning devalues people by depriving them of their uniqueness and that a ban should be implemented upon it. Both express valid points and I will critique the articles to better understand their points.

    Read More

  • Clones Are Human: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

    882 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Human Cloning and Human Dignity: An Ethical Inquiry." The President's Council on Bioethics Washington, D.C. N.p., July-Aug. 2002. Web.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Human Cloning on Medicine

    1768 Words  | 4 Pages

    Recent discoveries involving cloning have sparked ideas of cloning an entire human body (ProQuest Staff). Cloning is “the production of an organism with genetic material identical to that of another organism” (Seidel). Therapeutic cloning is used to repair the body when something isn’t working right, and it involves the production of new cells from a somatic cell (Aldridge). Reproductive cloning involves letting a created embryo develop without interference (Aldridge). Stem cells, if isolated, will continue to divide infinitely (Belval 6). Thoughts of cloning date back to the beginning of the twentieth century (ProQuest Staff). In 1938, a man decided that something more complex than a salamander should be cloned (ProQuest Staff). A sheep named Dolly was cloned from an udder cell in 1997, and this proved that human cloning may be possible (Aldridge). In 1998, two separate organizations decl...

    Read More

More about Cloned Instincts

Open Document