The Controversial of Human Cloning

The Arguments Surrounding Human Cloning

Dolly the sheep was revealed to have been cloned in 1997 , inevitably kick-starting a controversy on human cloning . Cloning is the scientific duplication of cells , genes or entire organisms , and it is the latter which has been fodder for debate (Shannon . Now that it is clear that human cloning is possible , the concerns revolve around whether or not humans should be cloned

Opponents of human cloning argue that it will lead to the creation of humans who are little more than objects to be designed to meet

br certain specifications . Other concerns are the inevitable absence of individual uniqueness , the possibility of using clones as a human donor farm the fear that human cloning is unsafe and its risks cannot be foreseen until it is too late , and finally , the potential to use cloning as a gateway to other applications of genetic technology . Not everyone opposes cloning , however advocates see a future with medical research breakthroughs , plentiful spare organs for those in need , a cure for infertility , and a means of saving endangered species . It has yet to be determined if the benefits outweigh the potential pitfalls

Opponents of cloning fear the potential to create designer babies , thus allowing humans to be viewed as objects that can be designed and manufactured to possess specific characteristics . After all , when human cloning is performed for the purpose of reproduction parents will prefer to infuse the most desirable characteristics in their child

To choose the characteristics of a life yet to be born presupposes that we are in a position to decide that a life - the life we 'design ' - is more worth living than the life that would emerge without our designing intervention (Graham 176

Human cloning has the potential to eliminate the randomness of reproduction and replace it with perfectly manufactured children . These children will reflect the most popular characteristics of the time according to their geographical location . Children born in California might all be blonde , blue-eyed with long limbs and perfect skin while this would eliminate the need for such normal corrective medical arrangements as braces and acne cream , it would also prevent diversity in future generations . In addition , these practices would determine what characteristics are acceptable . If all parents had the option of creating perfect features for their children , then the children who lacked these features may find themselves the target of discrimination In addition , it would also be prejudicial to those families who could not afford to produce a cloned child with specially designated qualities

An example of the unforeseen applications of genetic engineering can be found in the 1997 movie Gattaca . In this movie , parents used genetic engineering to eliminate undesirable traits in their unborn children . As the movie opens , a couple sees a geneticist to conceive their second child - they choose the traits they want their child to have , as well as his sex , and completely eliminate the opportunity for randomness . As a result , genetically engineered individuals are given preferential treatment in...