Heated Debate Whether Cloning is Ethical or Not (Research Paper Sample)

Heated Debate Whether Cloning is Ethical or Not

With the rapid development of society and breakthroughs in technology, genomics, informatics, and so on, concerns relating to their utilization have risen. One of the recent breakthroughs, cloning, has had unanticipated and uncontrollable consequences, such as detrimental mutations in human, animal, and plant life when they have been used (Gamborg et al., 2017). This is especially a common occurrence in the event of risky applications such as genetic manipulation, reproductive cloning, and the construction of weapons of mass destruction. These have led to an increase in the pollution of the planet, drastic depletion of natural resources, and unsustainability of life in some places on earth. The negative impact of cloning on life has led to the introduction of ethical considerations to provide guidelines on its application.
One of the ethical considerations in medicine that is conflicting with cloning is the aspect of “nonmaleficence”. According to Ayala (2015), cloned animals have been known to suffer from major health issues such as extreme obesity, premature death, malformed limbs, and defective immune systems and organs such as the liver and kidneys, among other deformities. The highlight of cloning is that it does more harm to the animal created by reproductive cloning than to the animal that would have otherwise been reproduced naturally. Despite the efforts made in the field, reproductive cloning, particularly in humans, has proven unsuccessful. Dolly, a sheep cloned in 1996, is one of the most extensively researched cloning processes. Dolly had to be terminated early in 2003, after only 6 years of life, despite the success of the cloning procedure, because her health was fast deteriorating, including worsening lung disease and arthritis (Ayala, 2015).
Science, religion, and other social institutions consider it unethical to create superior persons through genetic cloning, such as cloning individuals of significant achievement, such as in sports, music, and politics (Gamborg et al., 2017). Among the arguments advanced against cloning has been an unfavorable risk-benefit ratio. While the goal of cloning is to create a "superior man," the accompanying health hazards include decreased clone lifespan and other problems. If these ethical considerations are not taken into account, a clone with physical, psychological, and emotional flaws may be created (Gamborg et al., 2017). Additionally, cloning might cause genetic harm to the clone. Due to the low success rate of cloning, a large number of cells, organs, or embryos will be required for the process. As a result, more immature lives, such as embryos and fetuses, are lost (Gamborg et al., 2017).