...What is cloning? Cloning describes a number of different processes that can be used to produce genetically identical copies of a biological entity (Fact). The copied material, which has the same genetic makeup as the original, is referred to as a clone (MedlinePlus). I personally think that cloning is wrong for various reasons. In this essay, I will go into detail about cloning and why it is wrong from a moral standpoint. There are two types of cloning where you can make exact genetic copies, artificial embryo twinning and somatic cell nuclear transfer. Artificial embryo twinning is when the sperm cell is split in two inside of a petri dish creating two individual sperm (What). When placed in a surrogate mother, the two sperm cells develop into two identical organisms (What). Somatic cell nuclear transfer is when a somatic cell is isolated from an adult female organism, and then the nucleus and all of its DNA is removed from an egg cell (What). That DNA and nucleus is replaced by the nucleus from the somatic cell (What). This creates a freshly fertilized egg which develops into an embryo and is placed inside of a surrogate mother(What). I think cloning is bad for a few main reasons. Scientists have observed that most cloned organisms are born with defects and...
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...Philosophy 243-007 Cloning Essay October 5,2011 Leon Kass, the author of “ Preventing Brave New World”, an article opposing the continuation of cloning, is wrong to conclude that with the use of human cloning, we will fall down a slippery slope leading to the degradation of our human nature, putting ourselves before our children, bettering our children for the wrong reasons, and ultimately demeaning our own moral worth (Kass, 445). Through the scientific advances that we have made throughout the years, we have made the lives of many people longer and more fulfilling. The advances that Kass is arguing against, has given people children, prolonged the lives of many, and given people the opportunity to do things that they may not be able to do anymore. If there are all of these positive outcomes, how can Kass argue what he does? Before I begin, I feel it necessary to clear up a misunderstood word that may be the reason why people view certain aspects of cloning the way that they do. I will give this particular word a complete unbias by using a scientific definition instead of using my own words. The term that a person should know to truly understand the perspectives being compared is the word: Embryo. According to The Encyclopedia Britannica, an embryo is, “the unborn child until the end of the seventh week following conception; from the eighth week the unborn child is called a fetus”(Encyclopedia Britannica; “embryo.”). The embryos that are being used for cloning are only during...
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...De-extinction or not? The ethical dilemmas of cloning extinct species have been a...
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...Nathan Johnson Persuasive Essay Human Cloning Cloning humans has recently become a possibility that seems much more realistic in today's society than it was twenty years ago. It is a method that involves the production of a group of identical cells or organisms that all derive from a single individual (Grolier 220). It is not known when or how cloning humans really became a possibility, but it is known that there are two possible ways that we can clone humans. The first way involves splitting an embryo into several halves and creating many new individuals from that embryo. The second method of cloning a human involves taking cells from an already existing human being and cloning them, in turn creating other individuals that are identical to that particular person. With these two methods almost at our fingertips, we must ask ourselves two very important questions: Can we do this, and should we? There is no doubt that many problems involving the technological and ethical sides of this issue will arise and will be virtually impossible to avoid, but the overall idea of cloning humans is one that we should accept as a possible reality for the future. Cloning humans is an idea that has always been thought of as something that could be found in science fiction novels, but never as a concept that society could actually experience. "It is much in the news. The public has been bombarded with newspaper articles, magazine stories, books, television shows, and movies as well as cartoons¨...
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...It is possible to clone mammals. Is it morally acceptable to clone a human being? Defend your answer against those who would not agree with you. By: Martin Pierce Student Number: 1057404 In cloning for medical-research purposes the development of the embryo is halted as soon as a cluster of stem cells develops. The stem cells are then harvested for research purposes. Due to the fact that no infant is born (in fact the embryo never even gets past the blastocyst stage), it is argued that this type of cloning has nothing to do with human cloning. (Hatch Backs Limited Cloning, 2002). For this reason this paper shall take the statement “to clone a human being” as meaning cloning that results in a fully formed human and not on the cloning of embryos for the purposes of research. The issues around cloning are in the main more ethical than theological and yet most of the objections to cloning come from religious sources, even if those objections are not religious in nature. The first objection is that cloning leaves God out of the process of human creation. This only makes sense though if your definition of God is of a being that plays a role in the birth of each member of our species. Even holding to this view it does not necessarily follow that cloning is comparable to playing God (Brannigan, 2001). How can science prevent a supposedly...
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...Human Cloning Table of Contents: Advantages and Disadvantages Human Cloning and Divine Command Theory Human Cloning and Naturalism Human Cloning and Religion Human Cloning and Utilitarianism Human Cloning and Ethical Egoism Human Cloning and Kantianism Advantages and Disadvantages Like any other controversial topic, human cloning has numerous advantages and disadvantages, and based on these, one ought to decide whether to condemn human cloning as ethically right or not. On the one hand, there are several advantages for human cloning. These are mostly medical and political advantages. From a medical point of view, cloning can serve to improve the human condition. As a matter of fact, it provides cures to various diseases. With human cloning legalized, doctors would no longer treat cancer by chemotherapy; they would rather replace the affected cancerous organ by a new cloned one. Another way human cloning can serve to improve the human condition is by improving future generations. Some traits in human beings are unwanted and undesirable and can therefore be genetically dismissed in clones. Thus, future generations will not bear these unwanted characteristics. Furthermore, human cloning can serve to provide solutions to problems such as infertility and aging. Although Human cloning has a good number of advantages, it also has a lot of drawbacks. First of all, human cloning is the act of creating a new human being using technology and not the traditional way. This causes a...
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...The Human Cloning Debate its Benefits Potential and Controversies Charles J. Butler Devry University ENG 135 Professor Norton Abstract This paper explores the vast science and medical research that has gone into cloning, specifically human cloning. It focuses mainly on internet websites and articles posted on to the internet. The articles focus mainly on the history of cloning and the various ways that nature has used cloning and how mankind has extended natures approach and ultimately advanced cloning methods and the new technology that has been discovered because of these advances. The articles contain proof that further advancements in cloning can develop possibilities in preventing and curing diseases. There is discussion on how continued research into therapeutic cloning can expand the knowledge of how certain diseases and cancer attack the body, and how this knowledge can help fight and even eliminate both these issues. Another topic of discussion is how cloning could lead specific cell production of various organs and tissues through-out the body which can lead to curing failing organs and even the possibility of growing replacements organs thus doing away with then need for lengthy organ transplant lists and the needless suffering of thousands of patients a year. The paper contains the various ethical and controversial arguments that human cloning bring up. Keywords: Therapeutic cloning, The Human Cloning Debate its Benefits Potential and Controversies ...
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...Mirroring the World: The Aspects of Human Cloning Mirroring the World: The Aspects of Human Cloning Looking into a mirror presents an image that is strikingly similar to your own, but what if this image could come to life. Through extensive research, scientists have discovered a way to create life through a process called cloning. Cloning can simply be described by making an exact copy of an object. No one would have ever thought science could reach a level in history where you can actually make an exact duplicate of any organism. With such a large hype over this new discovery, there have many opposing arguments that carried along through the years with the research. Growing circulations have revolved around this issue creating a question asking, “Has Genetic Engineering gone too far?” Trial and error is the key concept in cloning, which follows suit through its complicated process, complications, and alternatives that will together to give us a sneak preview of the future ahead of us. A Step into the Process Cloning can be done in a few methods to create new life. The most common type of cloning is known as “somatic cell nuclear transfer.” In English, the method is basically saying that someone takes the DNA from the clone and DNA from the unfertilized egg and fuses the cells together to create the exact copy. This is one way to create a clone; the other involves the egg of the female species being copied. The scientist then extracts the donor’s genes from...
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...Introduction Ethics is the area of study that deals with morality and how we make decisions about how we behave as individuals and how our actions reflect our values and conduct towards one another. This class focused on two viewpoints that helped us define morality and how to apply it in new ways of thinking and reasoning when dealing with issues in our lives: consequential reasoning and non-consequential reasoning. Through an evaluation of my collected works, I will attempt to show an improvement in the areas of analytical skill building, knowledge acquisition, and practical application that are the key objectives of this class. The objective of these three skill areas was to help us better understand how to think ethically and to understand why others think the way they do and how to come to a better understanding of a difference of opinions on various subjects. Analytical Skills Analytical skill building helps to improve your critical reading, writing and thinking skills. In unit 2 Case Study B, I evaluated a situation where an employee was upset with his employer’s treatment of its employees. In analyzing the situation, I was able to come to an understanding of how best the company should respect Mr. Lopez’s rights and moral dignity as an employee by using consequential reasoning: A company should take whatever steps necessary to respect the rights and moral dignity of its employees. As a business organization, a company should consider that their employees are the foundation...
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...and intelligently. We as human beings have evolved right along with it. When we think of sciences, we immediately think about how things work, and how the human mind “works”; but when we think about being morally philosophical, we think what humans ought to be and what they out to think. These ideas lead into philosopher Joshua Greene’s views on deontology vs. consequences. Ultimately Greene thinks there is no external fact about what is right or wrong but the best we can do is be consistent with our values as they are. So, what does this mean? One good example is the infamous “trolley example” where there are 5 people standing on the track and they are about to be hit by the trolley, and there is another track with one person standing on the tracks, and you have the choice to “pull the switch” so the trolley goes to the other track saving the 5 people but resulting in killing the one other person. Many people say they would pull the switch because they would be saving 5 people instead of just one. But, if you made the situation more personal, and up front where you would push a person in front of the trolley in order to slow the trolley down and to save the other 5 people, a lot more people said they wouldn’t push the person and just let things take its own course. Now why would this have changed if it is the same scenario, just different ways to do it? Greene views it as, people tend to act for a “good will” and that it is more duty based and people don’t think about the...
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...Ethics of Cloning The Ethics of Cloning Team D: Casey Krueger, Erin Lee, Ferdinand Malarayap, Marvin Monge, and Ibrahim Mortada August 14, 2011 DeVry University Online Stem cell research and cloning have become a major topic of interest in countries all around the world ever since Dolly the sheep was successfully cloned in 1997. Every single country has their own views about stem cell research and cloning because of their moral and ethical issues. Muslims, for example, are individuals who are firm believers that knowledge is acquired in a form of worship, and any human achievement must be performed in conformity with God’s will. The introduction of new science in Islam is not perceived with open arms and new technology has to prove benefits before it is accepted because of the fear and respect the Muslim culture has for their God. Any new knowledge or discovery must be implemented within the confines of God’s laws and limits to maintain a healthy balance in the creation. Science and religion have to work together in the Muslim culture to determine if new knowledge or research such as stem cell and cloning are linked to the broad ethical base set forth in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Cloning began from the very earliest if civilization. Historians and scientist believe that early farmers took the strongest of their crop, self-pollinated them with same plant, extracted the seeds, and planted them to create a field of genetically identical plants. This type of cloning is more...
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...Morality of Cloning Cloning, is it morally right or wrong? That is the question many have been debating for years. Cloning an animal, or even more so a human, may seem, taboo. Ask yourself, what are moral standards built upon? Religion? Or do they come from ourselves? Most of today's moral standards are built upon Christianity, one of the worlds biggest religions. Many people believe that God made us to reproduce sexually, between a man and woman only, and that cloning is playing God and going against his will. Other religions too, have spoken out about cloning. Religion has been a main issue for the scientific community for many decades and will continue to be so. Many other subjects such as abortion, and assisted suicide have been a controversial...
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...Stem Cell research is a very controversial topic in today’s society. This topic brings up many ethical questions about it is right to do the research or not. Stem cells come from embryos that are only a few days old. The ethical issues that arise are many. If one believes that an embryo is a baby upon fertilization, then one would feel that this was unethical to do the research no matter what the benefits would be. On the other hand, some feel the benefits of what can be learned from stem cell research outweighs the ethical and moral dilemmas that are argued. This long debate brings about many questions about the ethical approaches, that there have been restrictions placed on the research in the lines of what type of embryos can be used for the research. Ethical or not there are always two sides to debate, stem cell research is no different. Throughout this paper I will discuss the ethical issues that stem cell research brings into light and the benefits that stem cell research brings into light that may just outweigh the ethical issues, then determine it these benefits and ethical issues really make stem cell research the most beneficial way to help cure diseases such as juvenile diabetes, Parkinson’s disease or even spinal cord or neck injuries. Argument for Research Stem Cell research can help scientist discover more about human cells and how they grow, change, and replace damaged cells within the body. The information that can be learned is priceless. Using this research...
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...spend more time with their friends and family, have more time in life to accomplish things they set out to do, and they could simply enjoy more of what life has to offer. This is a great mindset for anyone to have since life is a beautiful thing and worth living. With all of the advanced medical technology on this specific subject and the new findings that are constantly being done to prolong the human lifespan, we start to enter into the area of what is ethically right and wrong and wonder how much is too much? There are many different forms of medical treatment that can save someone’s life. This will vary from medicine to surgery and many things in between. Not everyone will agree on some of the techniques used, but most people understand why someone would want to save their life. Since people will try to save their own lives if they are dying, many scientists believe that there is no difference in trying to extend a life through medicine, or trying to create a life from another person through a cloning system. This is where the tables turn from helping mankind, to hurting what God has created for us. There are many conflicts between prolonging life and Christianity. Some people say that the world is entering into an area we do not belong, while others say we have already crossed that line. How Religion Is Impacted By Science Extending the Lifespan of a Human Introduction Currently, physicians have the know-how and advanced technology which...
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...could one day give us with cures for diseases and disorders. On the first issue, are these embryos human life? Well, one researcher told me he believes this five-day-old cluster of cells is not an embryo, not yet an individual but a pre-embryo. He argued that it has the potential for life, but it is not a life because it cannot develop on its own. An ethicist dismissed that as a callous attempt at rationalization. "Make no mistake," he told me, "that cluster of cells is the same way you and I, and all the rest of us, started our lives. One goes with a heavy heart if we use these," he said, "because we are dealing with the seeds of the next generation." And to the other crucial question -- If these are going to be destroyed anyway, why not use them for good purpose? -- I also found different answers. Many are these embryos are byproducts of a process that helps create life and we should allow couples to donate them to science so they can be used for good purpose instead of wasting their potential (Bush, President...
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