The Ethical Principles in Cloning

 The Ethical Principles in Cloning

- Human reproductive cloning remains universally condemned, primarily for the psychological, social, and physiological risks associated with cloning. A cloned embryo intended for implantation into a womb requires thorough molecular testing to fully determine whether an embryo is healthy and whether the cloning process is complete. In addition, as demonstrated by 100 failed attempts to generate a cloned macaque in 2007, a viable pregnancy is not guaranteed. Because the risks associated with reproductive cloning in humans introduce a very high likelihood of loss of life, the process is considered unethical. There are other philosophical issues that also have been raised concerning the nature of reproduction and human identity that reproductive cloning might violate. Concerns about eugenics, the once popular notion that the human species could be improved through the selection of individuals possessing desired traits, also have surfaced, since cloning could be used to breed “better” humans, thus violating principles of human dignity, freedom, and equality.