The Ethical Implication Of Human Cloning

There are many different implications, however, there are few as controversial as therapeutic human cloning. Think of the human body as a machine for a moment. We are comprised of finely tuned mechanisms that work in harmony to allow us to live. Each of these cogs, however, are fragile and can be defective or wear-out. One solution to this problem is to supply spare parts, if you will. Well, where do these parts come from? We currently use donors that can spare the necessary organs. This is a tricky process, however, because the number of those that require replacement “parts” is greater than those that are compatible donors. It is because of this dilemma that people end up perishing while waiting for a suitable organ. Some bioengineers, on …show more content…
A majority of the negative repercussions of human cloning would reside within ethical issues. In an article written by Axel Kahn, he explains how “the creation of human clones solely for spare cell lines would, from a philosophical point of view, be in obvious contradiction to an ethical principle expressed by Emmanuel Kant: that of human dignity. This principle demand that an individual - and I would extend this to read human life - should never be thought of only as a means, but alway also as an end” (3). In other words, human cloning for the purposes of providing spare organs and tissues may be effective, subjecting any human being to be treated more like a product than a person understandably diminishes human dignity. Furthermore, Kahn goes on to describe how “one blessing of the relationship between parents and children is their inevitable difference, which results in parents loving their children for what they are, rather than trying to make them what they want” (3). This beautiful relationship between parent and child would therefore, according to Kahn, not crossover to the “customer,” if you will, and cloned twin. Clones would essentially be treated like products, or tools, rather than human