Introduction
There is a lot of controversy attached to the idea of human cloning. For some people, human cloning is ‘ethically wrong’ and for others, it is a ‘repugnant’ and’ morally despicable’ practice. There are various potential benefits attributed to cloning. Emerging testimonies on human cloning have elicited mixed feelings on whether its potential benefits warrant the possible horrors.
There are those who agree that initial attempts to clone people could result in such horrific consequences as deformed children, spontaneous abortion, as well as putting the lives of women who volunteer to carry the first abortions in grave danger (Gibbs 4).
In addition, cloning is also associated with a number of disadvantages such as the disappearance of the meaning of life. We also have social, ethical, moral, political, and legal issues associated with the practice of cloning (Loston 1). The current paper is an attempt to explore social, ethical, and moral issues of cloning.
Human cloning is believed to enhance scientific development and scientific knowledge of humans. For example, the study of human cloning may lead to the discovery of a cure for such diseases as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Another benefit of human cloning is the ability to “grow” new livers, new hearts, and nerve cells.
Moreover, human cloning may also allow for the rebirth of deceased humans, the discovery of new ideas and data, and a cure for genetics-related diseases (Gibbs 6). On the other hand, it is not clear yet the nature of the risks that human clones would face as they develop. Human cloning could result in superhuman beings and who knows their longevity compared to the rest of us? Human cloning can also lead to healthier beings.
In addition, it can also help shed light on the causes of spontaneous abortions, and a host of cancers. In contrast, conducting human clones may still be an unsafe practice considering the many risks and uncertainties associated with it. As Cohen (para. 2) has noted, human cloning can cause more deaths of human beings since both, the embryo and the child, can be in danger.
I believe the idea of human cloning is wrong from a socialist perspective because we would literary be helping God in his work. The fact that God created us in his own image and likeness means that we should follow his commands, and not be co-creators with him. Considering that life is normally given to us freely, human cloning would be nothing short of mocking God.
It would also be a mockery of human kind because essentially, the socialization process of a human clone may be faced with resistance from the rest of us since this is something that we are not accustomed to. Moreover, the idea of human cloning has not been accepted by society in general, and as such, we can expect one form of resistance or another.
On the other hand, one might still argue that cloning is a purely individual decision and because we have that freedom, we might go ahead and embrace this practice as well. Other people also see human cloning as a gambling act whereby we may be intending to treat a preexisting medical condition such as Alzheimer’s cancer, or Parkinson’s disease. From such a perspective, human cloning may no longer be seen as an ethical issue but as a medical issue.
For the larger majority, we want to play it safe when it comes to the practice of human cloning. Accordingly, we are yet to take a stand on whether the possible benefits of human cloning would justify the potential horrors associated with the condition. We feel that scientists are leading us to an unknown world. As such, our moral may be compromised by undertaking the practice of human cloning.
From a moral point of view, human cloning is wrong because when undertaking the experiments, we are likely to put the would-be clones in unnecessary danger. Because human clones are not generally accepted in the society, it would be morally wrong to bring forth a child who would be denied sufficient psychological and physical support.
There is the possibility of lack of attachment between a mother and a child in the case of a cloned child. Just as some people have found, the practice of animal cloning as unacceptable, we can also expect a lot of concern when it comes to human cloning. The larger majority is opposed to the idea of human cloning because they see it as a morally unacceptable practice. As such, it is currently inappropriate, not to mention unethical and morally wrong to undertake human cloning.
The possibility that cloning of human might one day become a reality has elicited a lot of ethical issues. Already, there appears to be high failure rates for animal cloning and for this reason, we need to be very afraid because we may be destined to a similar high failure pattern when and if we decide to embrace the idea of human cloning. This means that we also have to contend with the high morbidity rates that characterize cloned animals (Loston para. 4).
Cloning among animals has also been faced with high disability and deformity rates. For example, owing to disability, Dolly the sheep had to be put down when she was only 6 years old, although many sheep live to be over 10 years old. Although we might be able to overcome such coning problems over time, nonetheless, the associated ethical ramifications are not that easy. What would be the basis for denying couples to reproduce cloned babies? Whether cloning should be a preserve for homosexual couples or sterile couples, is still debatable.
There question of parents having to choose the traits of their children (because this is what cloning entails anyway), does not appears to go down well with a lot of people. If we allow human cloning to happen, then we shall have effectively started an inevitable process of phasing out the human identity as we know it today. The issue of individuality also comes into question, as well as the difference between manufacture and procreation. If we allowed human cloning to take place, how would the different generations relate?
Conclusion
Research indicates that cloning has a very low success rate. Even if we are in a position to increase the success rate of human cloning, we cannot rule out the possibility of problem developing during the cloning process, before, during, or after pregnancy. In spite of such risks, proponents of human reproductive cloning views the technique as a potential solution to infertility problems.
There are moral, ethical and social issues attached to the debate on human cloning. As such, policy makers, the public and researchers should all have a responsibility to assess the possible effects of human cloning technique on humans in order to make more informed decisions.
Works Cited
Cohen, Eric. “The Politics of Cloning“. Los Angeles Times. 2001. Web.
Gibbs, Nancy. “Human Cloning: Baby, It’s You! And You, And You“. Time Magazine. 2001. Web.
Loston, Amy. “The ethics of human cloning. January”, Time Magazine. 1999. Web.