As well as being unsafe, human cloning, in its uncertain state, could lead to the creation and passing on of mutated genes, creating a whole new species of people. Because human cloning has not been perfected, any cloning experiments on humans could possibly result in anomalous results, and a sub-human mutation. If this sort of result were to be continually produced, then the original malfunction of mutated genes could be passed on and this would cause indefinite problems. Such a result could also lead to the permanent ban on cell stem research and implementation, which would not necessarily be a positive outcome in the long term as successful human clones could be made in the future when the technology was more assured that it is in its current state, and could actually be completely safe without any drawbacks whatsoever. As much as some scientists would like not to believe, experimenting with human cloning whilst knowing the high risk of developing mutated genes is not right and therefore unethical in terms in scientific research, and probably in terms of basic human morals as well.
The technology to clone humans is as yet imperfect. This just goes to show how immensely complex it must be to produce and exact replica of ourselves. Once the ability is achieved to manage such a feat, it will be expensive as it would be treasured. Once the technology is available to a wide audience and clientele, there is no telling what can be done with this knowledge and ability. If such technology is misused by some people, the repercussions could be disastrous. If, for example, this technology wound up in the wrong hands, (and this is a very extreme example), clones of such people as Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden could very well be created, and although they will be different from their originals in terms of experiences and actual being, that very fact that they are the closest thing to the actual living people would be reason enough for some people to immediately call for a band on all stem cell research before such an possibility ever becomes reality. Because of this minute possibility, but yet harsh reality, the progression of human cloning can be seen as unethical on human and scientific level and not in accordance of the rules we as humans set for ourselves due to the dangers of the misuse of the technology.
We must also look at the practical implications of human cloning, and how it would be different from the more natural and orthodox method of reproduction of pregnancy through sexual intercourse, and now more regularly, in vitro fertilization. Since the beginning of mankind, man has always reproduced through pregnancy, and to create humans in test tubes instead of in wombs is a fundamental change in what humans have held dear, in what is a very emotional process. This would bring a great superficiality to the wonder of reproduction as things no longer go through the father and mother, but through an ancillary medium. There are many parents and potential parents who would strongly object to this form of reproduction as it is missing in something that only a natural birth can provide. Creating humans in test tube and in laboratories would be seen as unethical to some people due its wholly different nature to a natural pregnancy and birth.
Whilst we are still dealing with the social effects of human cloning, we must evaluate the psychological impact such a technological jump would have on society. If we look into the long term and assume that human cloning becomes a rudimentary process and there are a significant percentage of the total population being clones, then this could have either one of the following negative effects on society. If the clones that were developed were of a lower standard than us original human beings, perhaps in strength or in mental sharpness, they could suffer discrimination from all other quarters and be thrown into the lower echelons of society without being given much of a chance to develop themselves fully. They emotional scars they could receive might have a huge impact on them and leave us with a large portion of people being cast down by the rest of society, and that can’t be a good thing. The opposite could also be possible, that a perfect race of human clones were to be created that looked down upon today’s society as being inferior, which I don’t think any person living today would like to see happen. A similar experiment was carried out in the United Sates some decades ago, where prizes were given and accolades awarded to those people or groups of people matched a certain criterion that was considered perfect at the time. There was definite discrimination in society at that time and had no positive outcomes, but actually led to a split and internal dissention in society. This program was called Eugenics. Obviously, if human cloning did reach a stage where they were commonplace in society, there would be a lot less genetic diversity within society as more and more people would have replicas of themselves instead of creating individual and separate beings through pregnancy. Certainly all these arguments would point to the fact that human cloning is most definitely unethical due to the massive implications, mostly negative, that it would have on society.
There are a lot of people who believe that cloning would have a positive impact on society, and who can refute all the claims made by those who believe that human cloning will have a detrimental effect on our world. They can claim that the technological imperfections can be overcome by just one lucky experiment that goes right, which would suddenly give them all the right in the world to go ahead and clone a human being. This would show the fickle nature of scientific experiments and their meaning, where the future of the technology hinges on the results of a single test. With this single result, they can profess that they have deciphered the technology needed to clone a human being. If they were able to prove this, these scientists might also be able to ascertain that they can guarantee that no mutated genes will ever be created, although it would be very difficult in practice for this to happen, as to totally nullify any possibility of error in a relatively unexplored technology is not easy. However, since it is possible, it is something that those who believe human cloning can go ahead right now will allege. The most important thing is that if the technology becomes applicable, it can be seen as an ethical move forward for science.
Those who believe that this technology falling into the wrong hands is not a problem that we will have to deal with may in fact have a point. It is possible that the laws and regulations regarding this technology will be upheld strictly enough to ensure that it never becomes a problem. However, the chances of this are slim, but it will not stop those who are for human cloning to argue that this is the case, that the technology will be so well protected that no one will ever be able to misuse it, and theoretically, with all the patents that will invariably pass on the subject of human cloning, they will make sure that the technology stays within certain pre-determined boundaries.
On the question of the superficiality of human cloning, that it would nowhere near match the raw emotion and joy felt by reproducing ones own offspring through their own bodies, this fact is accepted. But could it be argued that emotion itself is not enough of a reason to hold back science. After all, it never has in the past, with such procedures as the aforementioned in vitro fertilization as well as abortions, which are now readily available. These procedures have become very much ethical now, even though they were subject to much debate when first implemented, and the same can be said of human cloning, as it might become ethical in the future and a normal process.
Those who are for cloning will argue that the social and psychological differences and discriminations between humans and their clones will not be a problem due their creating clones so accurate that the differences will be negligible if not completely accurate.
So we have seen thus far the ethical immoralities of human cloning, where the misuse of technology, the social and psychological impacts of human cloning and the superficiality of it have all become great obstacles for its place in mainstream scientific process. There is certainly truth in all those arguments as they could all have a huge impact on our world as we know it. But then there are those people who do not take those first arguments seriously enough and are confident enough of their own claims that make human cloning completely ethical by negating any arguments put forward by people who believe that human cloning is unethical at its present state of technology. My opinion favours the first argument that at the present state of technology and knowledge, to clone a human being would be unethical by both the morals or science and those of humanity.
