Ethical Dilemma of Embryo Cloning

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Utilitarianism
There are many ethical theories that guide people in their daily lives when it comes to decision making. One of these theories is known as utilitarianism and it refers to a model that supposes an action is only right if it brings out greater happiness to the largest number of people. In essence, if an action results in happiness, it is perceived as morally right and wrong is the opposite happiness. Mill analyzes utilitarianism on the same level but adds a different twist to the theory. To understand utilitarianism as developed by Mill, this study will apply his ethical principles to a case showing which actions are morally right and the rationale for choosing such actions.
Embryo cloning is a relatively new development in biology and one that is perceived as a major achievement in the medical world. The stem cells that are harvested from the embryos can be used to achieve many goals. Adult stem cells can only develop into specific body organs and are, therefore, only useful in treating such places. Embryonic stem cells on the other hand, are more useful as they can be used to develop any organ (Banchoff). This difference makes the stem cells from an embryo more viable when it comes to research than adult stem cells. The use of these stem cells has attracted various opponents including the church, which has argued that harvesting these stem cells violate the right to life provided to the embryo. Although there is no near end to this debate, this study will utilize a utilitarian approach to understand the ethical issues in the debate, by examining a patient that suffers from kidney failure. This will enable the reader to have a clearer picture of the ethical dilemma that plagues this issue.
Jeremy and Embryo Stem Cell...

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...eved. Mill argues that pleasure can be measured if different people experience the same phenomenon and tend to prefer one to the other, hence showing that the preferred phenomena is ethical (Mill, Utilitarianism). Similarly, if people were placed in Jeremy’s shoes, many would most likely choose to be happy and end up choosing embryo cloning.

Works Cited
Banchoff, Thomas F. Embryo Politics: Ethics and Policy in Atlantic Democracies. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2011.
Jain, Kewal K. Textbook of Personalized Medicine. London: Springer, 2009.
Mclean, Sheila A. M. First Do No Harm: Law Ethics and Healthcare. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2013.
Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Boston, MA: MobileReference, 2010.
Mill, John Stuart, Jeremy Bentham and John Troyer. The Classical Utilitarians: Bentham and Mill. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing, 2003.

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