Reproductive Cloning - Lecture Slides | PHIL 1304, Study notes of Ethics

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Reproductive Cloning

Should we Clone Humans?

Things to Keep in Mind

• (^) Different Kinds of Cloning: Molecular Cloning, Cellular Cloning, Embryo Twining Etc.,
• (^) Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer(SCNT): A Technique that takes the nucleus of an adult cell and implants it in a egg cell where the nucleus has been removed
• (^) Fusion: Is a variant of (SCNT) where donor cells are put next to an enucleated egg and fused with the help of an electric current

Arguments Against Reproductive Cloning

• (^) Two Kinds:
• (^) 1. Cloning is intrinsically wrong
• (^) 2. Cloning is wrong because of its indirect consequences

First Kind

• (^) (RC) is against God’s will
• (^) The right to an open future:

1. (RC) would allow parents to design babies on the basis of whatever fantasies they happen to have about their future (expecting the child to have a future not of its own choosing)
2. This is wrong (the future should be open to the child)
3. Therefore, parents should not be allowed to accept or reject babies based on the qualities they lack or have (which is what [RC] would allow)

Arguments For Cloning

• (^) One of the main reasons to produce a child is to have a child with one’s own genes (no one disputes the value of this)

1. A clone child would have almost 100% of the parent’s genes not only 50%. If 50% is good why isn’t 100%?
2. (RC) would allow people that have no other means to do so ( e.g., women over 42 and Men who cannot produce sperm)

The Liberty Argument

• (^) The claim that (RC) would exacerbate socio- economic inequalities want to choose equality over freedom in this area yet are unwilling to do the same in other areas that may even be more important to fight inequality
• (^) This is arbitrary: Why justifies sacrificing freedom in this area but not in other areas in the name of equality?