- Reasons why cloning is unethical
Why is cloning so unethical? Well, there are actually many reasons why I feel this; some of the reasons, are the following:
- Unsafe testing
There have been cases in the use of cloning that have suggested that it is still a very unsafe practice, for example: during a somatic cell nuclear transplantation cloning, there has been signs of the fact that it is quite possible for embryos to be harmed and for the cloned child to be born with abnormalities (Vencor, 2001, p.315). Professor Vencor also states that: “The Nuremberg Code established that research should avoid doing physical or psychological harm. If cloning were to be performed on human beings at present it would certainly breach that code.” (Vencor, 2001, p. 321) This means that under current ethical code, cloning a human is unethical and forbidden and he also goes on to say that: “Cloned animals show a high rate of abnormality or disability per live birth.”(Vencor, 2001, p.342) This once again demonstrates that the risks to be conducting these tests are too high.
If this is insufficient proof, there is more evidence proving that there is a substantial risk of embryos being harmed in experiments which are currently being used for the cloning of humans. In a report by the BBC, it is stated that: “The process of cloning inevitably involves throwing away some fertilized embryos and, at the current stage of development, many of the embryos selected to live fail to develop and eventually die before birth.” (Allen Bee, 2001, ¶ 2) Finally, in another article written by Allen Bee, he states the two following comments: “For example, to produce a single live cloned sheep called 'Dolly', scientists had to create over 200 sheep embryos; all but one died were thrown away.”(Allen bee, 2001, ¶ 3) and “Abortion kills embryos, but human cloning creates embryos knowing that most of them will be killed.”(Allen bee, 2001, ¶ 4) This all suggests that cloning experiments are unsafe.
- Possible creation of classes
Another unethical issue that is alarming to many scientists and to common public is the issue of Eugenics. “Eugenics is the science of altering human evolution so as to encourage desirable traits and discourage undesirable ones.”(Ryder, 2003, ¶ 1) This means that there is a possibility that if used incorrectly, cloning can be used as means of creating different classes of people: slaves, super soldiers, geniuses, etc. Elaine Ryder states the above fore mentioned in her works for the BBC where she describes that: Human cloning is a drastic form of eugenics in which human beings can practice a much more effective form of selective breeding. (Ryder, 2003, ¶ 9) and she also goes on to say: Cloning could be used to produce an underclass of slaves.” (Ryder, 2003, ¶ 15), and finally: Cloning could be used to produce a superior class - a master race. Then those of us who were conceived naturally would become the slaves for the superior class. That would be just as bad.” (Ryder, 2003, ¶ 17)
I believe that if cloning were to be allowed, someone would almost certainly try to use this vast Godly power in order to create evil and chaos in the world. This can be justified by the writing of Dr. Patrick Dixon (1995), who states in his book: “what would Hitler have done with cloning technology if available in the 1940s? There are powerful leaders in every generation who will seek to abuse this technology for their own purposes. Going ahead with cloning technology makes this far more likely.” Although this might sound drastic, with a power as menacing as this one, it is quite possible for the wrong person to cause a lot of damage. What were to happen if an army of Super Soldiers were cloned and bred to destroy? Wouldn’t this be basically the same concept as that of the Germans during the days of the World Wars? This was basically their whole mission and, with cloning, we are going to make that mission easier for another man to attempt.
- The different views of researchers
Through the years many researchers have had theories on whether or not genetics is ethical or not. It is a real toss up whether or not the benefits overcome the ethical issues, yet Professor David Suzuki and Professor Knudtson (1988) stated a principle which they call the Genetic Principle, the principle is as follows: “Genetic Principle: Genetic diversity, in both human and nonhuman species, is a precious planetary resource, and it is in our best interests to monitor and preserve that diversity.” What this principle is saying is that the diversity of mankind is one of mans and all species greatest assets. It is one the resources that mankind works as hard as possible to protect. This principle is in great danger of being abolished if cloning is allowed to happen because of the possibility of Eugenics and the mass producing of the same human.
- Instability of Cloning in this Day and Age
- Some Cloning Problems that have Occurred
Due to the uncertainty that surrounds cloning, the only way that scientists can find out if there are any potential dangers revolving around cloning is by actually conducting cloning experiments. So far, scientists have discovered many problems and will most probably discover some of these are as follows:
1. Rapid Aging
It has been found in many cases of animal cloning that the animals have aged at a pace twice as fast as their natural born counterparts. Also, these animals incurred difficulties with older aged diseases. There are two examples of rapid aging. The first occurred with an experiment on a sheep in Australia. The cloned sheep died at the age of 2 years and 10 months (Knight, 2003, ¶ 7). The second example is of the highly publicized and popular case of Dolly the Sheep. She died at the age of only 6 years. This is stated in the same article featuring both the Australian sheep and Dolly when it is reported that: “Dolly's birth six-and-a-half years' ago caused a sensation around the world. But as many sheep live to twice this age, her death will refuel the intense debate over the health and life expectancy of cloned animals.” (Knight, 2003, ¶ 2) Even though Dolly was only 6 years old and was cloned from a healthy six year-old sheep, she still developed arthritis and a lung disease about six-years prematurely. (Knight, 2003, ¶ 3)
- Damage to the pregnant mom and the cloned child
There is also another defect that has been found. It is one that could harm the mother and the cloned baby. There have been reports of a possibility that the mother would contract a womb cancer. In a related article Andy Coghlan states that: “The cancer develops from the trophoblast, the part of an embryo that invades the womb wall and develops into the placenta. Though the causes are unknown, poorly regulated genes controlling the growth of the placenta seem to be the key.” (Coghlan, 2002, ¶ 5) This alone is enough to scare off even the most scientific at heart, for now it is not only an unborn baby that is at risk, it is also the parent who can suffer. The fear was further fuelled when a scientist by the name of Barry Hancock acknowledged the following: That abnormal imprinting in the genes of cloned human embryos may increase a mother's risk of the disease.”(Coghlan, 2002, ¶ 7). While some, such as those who are pro-abortion, can argue that embryos have no rights as a human, it cannot be argued that a woman should put her life at risk for the sake of cloning.
- The Emotional Risks of cloning
There are many emotional risks that can be associated with being a clone. In a book written by Dr. Patrick Dixon many possible examples are outlined for his readers. He states this as one of his examples:
A child grows up knowing her mother is her sister, her grandmother is her mother. Her father is her brother-in-law. Every time her mother looks at her she is seeing herself growing up. This can cause unbearable emotional pressures on a teenager trying to establish his or her identity. (1995, ¶ 3)
Examples such as these are what I will use in order to demonstrate my third argument against cloning. Take the above given example. Imagine the mental harm and anguish that the child would have to go through while he/she is growing up. It is hard enough for a child to establish his/her own identity when he is not a clone, but imagine how this clone would feel when he/she has to live up to this identity that was already established; possibly a doctor, lawyer, or maybe even worse. What if the person he/she was cloned from someone who has done wrong and has criminal past? This would just leave the child at a disadvantage from the beginning.
Another example of emotional risk deals with marriage. Dr. Patrick Dixon states the following:
What happens to a marriage when the "father" sees his wife's clone grow up into the exact replica (by appearance) of the beautiful 18 year old he fell in love with 35 years ago? A sexual relationship would of course be with his wife's twin, no incest involved technically. (1995, ¶ 3)
This last example gives a whole new meaning to the Jerry Springer show. I could see it now: “My husband is in love with my clone daughter”. Yet, this risk is one that can very likely happen. In this world, we already have molesters and sexual abusers, the fact that cloning is around can only add to these problems. Sexual abuse is not the only problem. Physical and emotional abuse can also occur. If the father in the above example should one day be upset with his wife, he could take out his anger on the cloned child. He could see her as a substitute and place his anger towards her.
The final emotional risk I offer you is the following, in which Dr. Dixon says:
Or maybe the child knows it is the twin of a dead brother or sister. What kind of pressures will he or she feel, knowing they were made as a direct replacement for another? It is a human experiment doomed to failure because the child will NOT be identical in every way, despite the hopes of the parents. One huge reason will be that the child will be brought up in a highly abnormal household: one where grief has been diverted into making a clone instead of adjusting to loss. The family environment will be totally different than that the other twin experienced. That itself will place great pressures on the emotional development of the child. You will not find a child psychiatrist in the world who could possibly say that there will not be very significant emotional risk to the cloned child as a result of these pressures. (1995, ¶ 4)
It is true what Dr. Patrick Dixon says; what does happen when the child realizes that he/she was created in order to replace a loved one? This pressure will surely leave a poor child in distress and can possibly affect his/her relationship with his parents if he/she does not replace the loved one in the way that they had hoped.
After having given these 3 examples, I feel that this is yet another reason why cloning is too risky. Even if there were no physical risks involved in the procedure and it was ethical, this last disadvantage is one that can never truly be fixed. This is because no matter what a scientist does, this last disadvantage is one that comes from the heart and the brain of the parent and the cloned child involved. These psychological risks cannot be controlled.
- The Counterargument
Although there are many who believe that cloning can be used for good in this world, I being one of them, these good things, such as: reproducing needed organs, curing paralysis, and curing incurable diseases cannot be accomplished without great risks. All of these good points are almost certainly going too be proceeded by some sort of injustice or misuse of this incredible technology. This theory is back up by Dr. Patrick Dixon who states:
What would Hitler have done with cloning technology if available in the 1940s? There are powerful leaders in every generation who will seek to abuse this technology for their own purposes. Going ahead with cloning technology makes this far more likely. You cannot have so-called therapeutic cloning without reproductive cloning because the technique to make cloned babies is the same as to make a cloned embryo to try to make replacement tissues. And at the speed at which biotech is accelerating there will soon be other ways to get such cells - adult stem cell technology. It is rather crude to create a complete embryonic identical twin embryo just to get hold of stem cells to make - say - nervous tissue. Much better to take cells from the adult and trigger them directly to regress to a more primitive form without the ethical issues raised by inserting a full adult set of genes into an unfertilised egg. (1995, ¶ 4)
Here he backs up the facts that for every good that can be done with this technology, there is at least one misuse or problem that can occur and will most likely occur. It is for this reason that I feel that no matter how many great things that can come from cloning, there are just too many disadvantages attached to it.
VI. Conclusion
Cloning is a science that has the potential to both be used for good in this world, or for evil, and based on the findings in my research, which ranges from the unethical aspect of murdering embryos and performing experiments on unknowing babies to the emotional risks that can occur when the cloned child feels that they have to live up to the standards of the their principle clone, the potential dangers of cloning outweigh the potential good. Cloning is not even close to being safe enough to attempt; with such risks as rapid aging and the possibility of injuring the baby and the mother. All of this research allowed me to conclude that cloning is unethical, unsafe and has too many emotional risks attached to it in order to be legalized. So, in order for me to conclude I would like to leave you with this thought: If you ever thought of having a cloned child, I want you to ask yourself the following questions: “Am I willing to deal with all of the possible complications involved with cloning? Am I willing to possibly watch my beautiful child age at a pace that is twice as fast then he/she should have? Am I ready to possibly watch this child buried long before you go? Am I ready to deal with all of the emotional risks that will be attached to a cloned child? And finally if all of these don’t deter you from cloning, I want you to take a look at the world we live in today and see how many orphans there are and how many already born children are struggling to find a home. If cloning falls in to the hands of the wrong people picture that number being multiplied. Is this a society we would want to live in? So let us not play God and recreate a world in which freedom is lost.
Works Cited
Allen bee, Robert (2001). Dealing with Anti Cloning: It Involves Murdering Embryos. British Broadcasting Corporation. . Retrieved, March 4th, 2003
Coghlan, Andy (2002). Clone pregnancy risks womb cancer. The New Scientist Online News. . April 10th
Dixon, Patrick (1995). Emotional Risks. The Genetic Revolution, . Retrived April 10th, 2003
Knight, Will (2003). Dolly the sheep dies young. The New Scientist Online News. . February 14th
Knudtson, Peter and Suzuki, David (1988). Genethics: The Ethics of Engineering Life. Toronto Ontario, Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, August 1988, 290
Ryber, Elaine (2001). Dealing with Anti Cloning: Eugenics. British Broadcasting Corporation. . Retrieved, March 4th, 2003
Vencor, Burt. (2001). Answers to cloning. Risky Buisness. New York, New York, Plenum Press, 312-345
