Ever since the first cloned mammal, Dolly The Sheep, was created in 1996, the concept of human cloning started to arise (Nardo, 2002). Cloning is a mean of asexual reproduction, which will create a genetically identical organism by copying the DNA of a cell or an individual. By simpler mean, a clone is a duplicate or a copy (Yadav & Sharma, 2011). It is said that human cloning could bring variety of benefits to people including bringing back the deceased, and helping infertile couples. However, human cloning issue is very controversial that up until now, the future of this issue is still uncertain. There are a lot of stumbling blocks in the effort to legalize human cloning. In her book entitled ‘Cloning’, Tina Kafka says that:
“Decisions about cloning in the 21st century hinge more on ethicists, religious leaders, politicians, and the public than they do on science.” (2008)
Even though the issues on human cloning which arise in science are less than the issues arise in other fields, it is clear that human cloning should not be justified, as it is scientifically wrong.
Indeed, cloning is not a new term for most of us. Scientists have been using cloning technology to create duplicates of plants, mainly to manipulate the production of food source (Nardo, 2002). Cloning animals started way back in 1902 when a German embryologist, Hans Spemann, had cloned a salamander (Gralla, 2006). The legislative actions on human cloning have been discussed in many countries. However, all countries seem to come out with different laws regarding this issue. While Germany and Norway strictly ban all human cloning, many countries such as China, Great Britain, India, Sweden, and Israel actively support stem cell research, which is also a part of human c...
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President’s Council on Bioethics.(2006).Human Cloning Would Be Damaging to Society. In S. Engdahl, Contemporary Issues Companion Cloning. Farmington Hills, U.S.A: Greenhaven Press.
Yadav, S., & Sharma, V. (2011). Human Cloning: Perspectives, Ethical Issues and Legal Implications. International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences , 2 (1), 28-41.
Klotzko, A. J. Cloning Humans Is Not Yet Safe. In S. Engdahl, Contemporary Issues Companion Cloning. Farmington Hills, U.S.A: Greenhaven Press.
Gralla, J. D., & Gralla, P. (2006). What Is a Clone? In S. Engdahl, Contemporary Issues Companion Cloning (pp. 17-25). Flamington Hills, U.S.A: Greenhaven Press.
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. (2014). Large Osspring Syndrome. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from ABPI : http://abpischools.org.uk
Farrell, Courtney. "Cloning: An Overview. By: Farrell, Courtney, Carson-Dewitt, Rosalyn, Points of View: Cloning, 2013." Ebscohost.com. Mackinvia.com, 2013. Web. 21
Brown, Alistair. "Therapeutic Cloning: The Ethical Road To Regulation Part I: Arguments For And Against & Regulations." Human Reproduction & Genetic Ethics 15.2 (2009): 75-86. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
McGee, Glenn, (2001). Primer on Ethics and Human Cloning. ActionBioscience.org. Retrieved October 3, 2004, from: http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/mcgee.html
If a random individual were asked twenty years ago if he/she believed that science could clone an animal, most would have given a weird look and responded, “Are you kidding me?” However, that once crazy idea has now become a reality, and with this reality, has come debate after debate about the ethics and morality of cloning. Yet technology has not stopped with just the cloning of animals, but now many scientists are contemplating and are trying to find successful ways to clone human individuals. This idea of human cloning has fueled debate not just in the United States, but also with countries all over the world. I believe that it is not morally and ethically right to clone humans. Even though technology is constantly advancing, it is not reasonable to believe that human cloning is morally and ethically correct, due to the killing of human embryos, the unsafe process of cloning, and the resulting consequences of having deformed clones.
“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.
Yadav, Sachdev. "Human Cloning: Perspectives, Ethical Issues and Legal Implications." International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences 2.1 (2011): 28-41. Academic Search Complete. Web.
In the past, cloning always seemed like a faraway scientific fantasy that could never really happen, but sometimes reality catches up to human ingenuity and people discover that a fictional science is all too real. Such was the fate of cloning when Dolly, a cloned sheep, came into existence during 1997, as Beth Baker explains (Baker 45). In addition to opening the eyes of millions of people, the breakthrough raised many questions about the morality of cloning humans. The greatest moral question is, when considering the pros against the cons, if human cloning is an ethical practice. There are two different types of cloning and both entail completely different processes and both are completely justifiable at the end of the day.
Cloning is, and always has been an extremely contentious topic. To some, the ethical complications surrounding it, are far more promiscuous than what scientists and medical experts currently acknowledge. Cloning is a general term that refers to the process in which an organism, or discrete cells and genes, undergo genetic duplication, in order to produce an identical copy of the original biological matter. There are two main types of artificial cloning; reproductive and therapeutic, both of which present their respective benefits and constraints. This essay aims to discuss the various differences between the two processes, as well as the ethical issues associated with it.
In the world today, issues such as Global Warming and the War in Iraq take the front cover on any newspaper, but in the world tomorrow, the concept of cloning will become an ever-more pressing issue. How do you define the term cloning? Well, in the words of Jac...
Not so far in the future, a young boy of the age of six, dying a heart-wrenching death, will only be able survive with a bone marrow transplant. His parents will have searched near and far for a match, but none will come to their aid. The only possible way that they can produce a perfect match for their son's bone marrow is to clone their son. Unfortunately, at this time this topic is still being discussed and debated upon with the government. Their only child that has been their treasure for six years might die. A clone of their son becomes their apple of aspiration to keep the treasure from being buried.
In recent years our world has undergone many changes and advancements, cloning is a primary example of this new modernism. On July 5th, 1995, Dolly, the first cloned animal, was created. She was cloned from a six-year-old sheep, making her cells genetically six years old at her creation. However, scientists were amazed to see Dolly live for another six years, until she died early 2005 from a common lung disease found in sheep. This discovery sparked a curiosity for cloning all over the world, however, mankind must answer a question, should cloning be allowed? To answer this question some issues need to be explored. Is cloning morally correct, is it a reliable way to produce life, and should human experimentation be allowed?
1) Robertson, John A. “Human Cloning and the Challenge of Regulation,” The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 339, no. 2 (July 9, 1998), pp. 119-122.
"Human Cloning and Human Dignity: An Ethical Inquiry." The President's Council on Bioethics Washington, D.C. N.p., July-Aug. 2002. Web.
Seidel, Jr., George E. "Cloning." World Book Student. World Book, 2014. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. source 19
Robinson, Bruce. “Human Cloning: Comments by political groups, religious authorities, and individuals.” 3 August 2001. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 1 October 2001 <http://www.religioustolerance.org/clo_reac.htm>.