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What are the implications of cloning and is it considered ethical?

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What are the implications of cloning and is it considered ethical?

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Cloning refers to the process of producing individual organisms with identical genomes, either by natural or artificial means. Cloning can generally be split between two types -- reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning.

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To consider whether cloning is considered ethical, we must establish a basis for what ethicality is. Ethicality relates to the moral principles we humans have. This can be based on the intentions, decisions, and actions that are viewed as "good" or "bad". However, things often fall in the gray area of these two drastic sides, causing debates on where the issue now lies.

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This type of cloning is more well-known to the public through movies and literature, though it often creates misconceptions about what actually takes place during the process. Reproductive cloning simply relates to the production of new life. The process involves removing stem cells from a human donor without harm.

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This type of cloning had more medicinal benefits other than reproduction. These benefits include new ways of supplying organs, tissues, and other drugs to alleviate many severe illnesses. Through this procedure, the stem cells from human or animal embryos are extracted and then destroyed in the process. This raises concerns to many due to the termination of the embryo.

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Therapeutic Cloning Is Ethical Arguments

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Therapeutic Cloning Is Ethical Arguments

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Therapeutic Cloning Is Not Ethical Arguments

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Therapeutic Cloning Is Not Ethical Arguments

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Reproductive Cloning Is Ethical Arguments

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Reproductive Cloning Is Ethical Arguments

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Reproductive Cloning Is Not Ethical Arguments

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Reproductive Cloning Is Not Ethical Arguments

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Some supporters of therapeutic cloning argue that there is nothing wrong with cloning embryos for medicinal benefits. They note that the stage of development in the embryo is vastly different from that of a human being. Supporters insist that the creation and destruction of a pre-embryo does not amount to the destruction of a human, (Van Den Berg).

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Those who support reproductive cloning are backed by a basis for reproductive liberty. The argument is that the denial of procreation through asexual means, such as in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination, is a violation of the constitutional protection of procreative liberty. This means that individuals have the freedom to decide whether or not to have children. Supporters argue that the government cannot control people's decisions about procreation or how and why people should procreate, (Van Den Berg).

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One key argument is the safety of the cloned child. There may be potential health risks as the technology behind cloning has not been proven to be safe. There is not enough evidence to prove that cloned people would not suffer from any deformities or abnormalities as a result. This issue brings up concerns for the well-being of the cloned person, as well as the future generations of humanity as a species, (Van Den Berg).

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Another key argument involves the potential harm to society. Many are concerned about how this process can be abused to produce children of certain classes, races, or gender types. They argue that this could lead to social injustices, such as class, race, and gender discrimination, which will then affect society.

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Since the process of therapeutic involves creating or extracting embryos to receive the stem cells and then discarding them afterward, many have linked this issue to abortion. Those who argue that therapeutic cloning is not ethical push for the justification that embryos are considered a human life or living. Discarding the embryo after stem cell extraction is not morally acceptable.

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In 1997, a sheep named Dolly was the first mammal to be successfully cloned. Ever since then, scientists have contemplated whether or not this new technology can be used to clone humans. As much of a scientific revolution it was, it has also created many debates. This has brought about differences in views concerning life, identity, parenthood, family relationships, the status of the embryo and so much more.

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The success of therapeutic cloning has "enhanced the process of discovering new medicines to alleviate illnesses such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, Lou Gehrig's, heart diseases, lymphoma, leukemia, diabetes, anemia, and the partial restoration of damaged spinal cords," (Van Den Berg). This process has also supplied new livers, hearts, nerve cells, and bone marrow for transplants to those in need. These medicinal benefits have greatly improved and helped society but at the cost of embryonic stem cells.

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There are many complex arguments dealing with the pros and cons of both therapeutic and reproductive cloning. From my own perspective, I believe that with the current knowledge of cloning, there isn't enough evidence to support that the overall positive outcomes outweigh the negatives. I stand by this for both types of cloning as well.

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Yes, there are lots of positive medicinal benefits and discoveries that have come from this process of cloning, but I also don't know the official status of an embryo. Whether it is considered living or not, I believe that scientists must make this determination first before proceeding. This can be done scientifically, or by creating a set definition of what an embryo is. After that, the ethicality of the procedure would be handled, and therapeutic cloning would possibly be continued. I also believe that this would open new possibilities for those who are infertile or want a new way of having children by asexual means.

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My biggest concern is the safety of reproductive cloning. I agree that we do not have enough information to determine whether or not the cloned child will be negatively affected by deformities. Once the technology is deemed safe in the future, then it is possible that cloning humans will be able to coexist in our world. With this, however, I am also curious about how this would affect society and its definition of life.

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What sets these arguments apart is the potential effects versus the benefits now. Generally, those who believe that cloning is not ethical are thinking about what may happen in the future. The unknown is what sets people back because of the potential consequences. Those who approve of cloning are mostly looking at the benefits that are available now. To come to a consensus, if we are to eliminate this uncertainty and create moral principles that would help define what is acceptable in the cloning process, then both sides may be able to come together and formulate an agreement.