The Cloning Advantage Essay, Research Paper
The first successfully cloned mammal was created on February of 1997. It was a breakthrough in scientific research when the Scottish scientists cloned a sheep by the name of Dolly. The method of cloning requires the extraction of DNA from anywhere on a subject’s body and inserting that DNA into a woman’s egg. Worldwide attention was turned to the prospect of human cloning and with a push for sweeping prohibition (Tribe 459) legislatures around the world banned any research related to cloning because of its nature. To get rid of cloning research would be very harmful and detrimental to society. If cloning humans is allowed then it will benefit us all because of the medical advances and understands that can be obtained from cloning technology which will help everyone improve and prolong their lives.
Cloning is beneficial because the technology will give us a better understanding of the way our bodies work. It will end many diseases and prevent new unforeseen ones. Also, couples unable to bear children will be able to via cloning. Organs can be cloned reducing the long waiting lists that many people in need of organs suffer. To get rid of cloning research would be very harmful and detrimental to us all.
One of the main arguments concerns the immorality of cloning. Many state that cloning debases the essence of humanity. The cloning of oneself will in no way reduce the value of what it is to be human. Cloning is just another way of reproducing. Alt5ernative
methods of fertilization and surrogate motherhood have gained moral status so why not cloning? There were cries of immorality when birth control pills and heat transplant surgery were introduced. These innovations have gained widespread acceptance. This is to say that banning something before its potential is examined is a huge mistake.
A cloned person is just like a twin, only years apart. A cloned person has its own personality because it is the environment and experiences that make the person. Any beliefs that clones are mindless human beings are wrong. Many assume the worst that the worst could happen. People always assume the worst, recall The Boys From Brazil, a story of identical offspring of Adolf Hitler being raised in order to further his horrible work (Wilson 463). The prevailing belief that people will start cloning a master race or clone Hitler is unrealistic. The cloning of humans will not depreciate humanity. Instead it will be a bonus to mankind. Even if Hitler were to be cloned, it wouldn’t mean that the clone would be like or even succeed in continuing the original Hitler’s plan.
Another concern and the strongest of the arguments that many have is that it goes against Gods will (Wilson 463). Since reproduction through copulation is the norm everything that goes against that is wrong, many assert. There was similar criticism of the aforementioned birth control pills and organ transplant surgery but they have
gradually gained acceptance. When revolutionary advances occur there are always those who oppose it because it disrupts the normality of things.
Another primary argument is the fact that as of now the cloning technology is too risky. Dolly was the only lamb to emerge out of 277 attempts, and we still do not know how long she will live or what diseases, if any, she might contract (Wilson 463). I concede the procedure of cloning such advanced mammals as sheep let alone humans is painstaking and complex. Many things have to go just right in order for the procedure to be successful. This calls for further research not a banning of cloning. Through more research we will be able to clone more efficiently than the Scottish scientists did with Dolly. Mistakes will be made and there will be casualties. Those things go along with progress. In vitro fertilization wasn’t successful the first time around. Neither was organ transplant surgery. A premature ban on any scientific effort moving in the direction of cloning could well impede on useful research (Wilson 463). Further research will help us better understand the technology and how to apply it effectively. Current cloning projects on monkeys, which are very similar to humans, will better help us understand how to clone humans. Sure the technology is not up to par as of yet but with hard work and perseverance it will be in a few years.
The medical advances that cloning will bring to humanity is incredible. For years countless people have died from infirmities and disease because their vital organs failed on them. Many techniques have been tried to solve this common dilemma. Centuries ago people bleed patients by cutting the skin to allow blood to drain out. This was done in hopes of getting rid of bad blood. As one may guess, this method was not very successful. Not until the 20th century have doctors been able to transfer organs fro one body to another. This has saved many lives but there are still many who die because of a shortage in the organ supply. Cloning will solve that problem. In the near future technology will improve so that medical scientists will be able to clone organs wholly outside of a human body. To be able to clone human cells and tissues is seen as vital to medical progress. We will be able to duplicate a carbon copy of a healthy strong organ without a person having to donate one of his or her own organs.
Another important reason to legalize cloning is to enable couple unable to bear children to be able to. Suppose the father cannot provide sperm or the mother is unable to produce a fertilizable egg (Wilson 465). In this case a couple would be incapable of conceiving children even with the aid of fertility drugs. In Vitro fertilization also may at times be unsuccessful and many couples wont consider adoption. Cloning technology will increase the possibility of a barren couple conceiving. No longer will a couple not be able to experience the natural feeling of having their own children.
Another benefit that cloning will bring to us is a better understanding of our bodies. Through cloning we will be able to grasp how cells behave and why they die. In addition to the aforementioned organ-cloning asset, cloning will also allow us to learn about the predisposition of certain cells to maladies such as cancer and tumors. Thus, cancer can be prevented. Also, previously incurable diseases and undiscovered diseases can find that their cure originated in cloning related technology. This advantage will be an enormous boost to mankind because it will prolong the life of many who would have died early. Fear of having a life threatening familial genetic trait will be eradicated. Another way life can be prolonged is through the study of the lifespan of the body’s cells. Through research in cloning, scientists might one day be able to prolong the lifespan of our own cells.
In conclusion, cloning will have enormous beneficial repercussions around the world. Everyone will find himself or herself benefiting. Thanks to cloning, one might lead a robust and extended life. The benefits of cloning are so great that it is a must that it becomes allowed. Cloning should be allowed for any non-threatening reason. The only objection that stands up under analysis is that the technology has not been perfected. This is justification for further research, not a prohibition. The end product, the actual cloned person, will feel unique and special rather than oppressed and ostracized. It will be a testament to the willpower and intellect of mankind. People who are in desperate
need of organs will benefit by getting those organs at a fraction of the time it would usually take. To ban cloning is to cheat the world out of a very valuable service.
Bibliography
Tribes, Laurence. “Second Thoughts on Cloning.” The New York Times (December 5,
1997). Rpt. in Current Issues & Enduring Questions A Guide to Critical Thinking
and Argument, with Readings. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. 5th Edition.
Boston: Bedfort/St. Martin’s. 1999. 459-461.
Wilson, James Q. “The Paradox of Cloning.” The Weekly Standard (May 26,
1997). Rpt. in Current Issues & Enduring Questions A Guide to Critical Thinking
and Argument, with Readings. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. 5th Edition.
Boston: Bedfort/St. Martin’s. 1999. 462-468.