Cloning: Has Science Created A Frankenstein?

1933 Words4 Pages

Cloning: Has Science Created A Frankenstein?

In Shelley's " Frankenstein" the scientist Victor Frankenstein is out to create life by putting human parts along with electricity. His quest is to be able to create life in a way which has never been done or thought of before. Victor Frankenstein may have been motivated by the death of his family, hoping to find a reverse to death in an attempt to cheat death. He may have also been motivated by the power of creating life. Regardless of his motivation his desire to create life became so overwhelming that he eventually had no interest in anything but his work.

This desire for scientific advancement which Shelley writes about must be similar to what motivates scientists even today. In the last century scientist have been attempting to find ways to create life by artificial means. Scientists have made in-vitro fertilization possible, allowing thousands of infertile couples to have biological children. When in-vitro fertilization was introduced it was seen as completely unnatural and going against all religions. I am sure there are still people who view in-virto fertilization as wrong, but the vast majority of the world can see it for its benefits at this point. Although it must be said that it did take a while for people on a whole to accept this method of conceiving a child.

Today, we as a society world wide have a new issue to deal with. Science has discovered the means in which to clone animals, opening a whole new discussion. Many people are inclined to say why would science even wish to peruse this method of research. Lewis Thomas says in his essay "The Hazards of Science"

It would seem to me a more unnatural thing and more of an

offense against nat...

... middle of paper ...

... effect all humanity, and therefore, need to not think on an individual level. J. Michael Bishop states that "The price of science seems large but to reject science is to deny future."(261).

We can not undo what has been discovered and we must ensure that all countries involved with cloning form a committee to monitor the uses of this technology to ensure that it is used in the best interest of mankind.

Works Cited

Bishop, Michael J. "Enemies of Promise" The Presence of Others. C Comp. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins, 1997 255-263.

Shelley, Mary "Frankenstein". The Presence of Others. Comp Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins, 1997 230-235.

Thomas, Lewis "The Hazards of Science" The Presence of Others. Comp. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins, 1997 236-242.

More about Cloning: Has Science Created A Frankenstein?

Open Document