Is Human Cloning Another Frankenstein?

Is Human Cloning Another Frankenstein?

The creation of life by unnatural method is a question that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein addresses. Through the events that result from Victor's attempt to bestow life to the inanimate, Shelley concludes that it is inappropriate for man to play god. With the advent of the science of creation, cloning, scientists now face the same problem that Shelley raised years ago. The applications of such research are numerous, all varying in severity. In what way the users for cloning are developed and performed is of much debate. Unfortunately, there is no absolute answer for the issue.

A popular suggestion is to develop cloning technology for medical use on humans. The creation of animals for use at man's discretion, such as livestock for food, is an ancient and generally accepted practice. However, when creating a human clone, for its organs, can it be said that such an act is murder? Aldous Huxley illustrates another vision of cloning in Brave New World. The novel depicts people created from basic templates to fit in a given level of society. Should people have the ability to design the type of child they get? The implications of creating custom humans raise many moral problems. In Shelley's Frankenstein, the act of creation resulted in an abhorred being. Using cloning, there is the potentiality for someone to develop a genetically enhanced being for malicious purposes. The question of how to regulate potential uses and misuses of the aforementioned ideals is of much debate. Several acceptable answers have been suggested, but each has its own weaknesses and group of detractors.

As an answer to the moral questions that the advent of cloning has raised, several coun...

... middle of paper ...

... will be formulated.

With the exploration of various solutions and issues that arise when dealing with these approaches to the moral dilemma faced, one can only conclude that the best solution is already being developed. The human race is not ready to control the formation of life, for there are too many potential abuses and no way to control them. A peremptory ban on human cloning research should not be necessary with the current level of cloning technology possessed. However, the strict limiting of which areas of this research are pursued, and who pursues the research is most critical. As new ideas appear confusion arises, and understanding of all aspects of the new ideas cause rise to necessary changes in society. The popular approval of the idea of human cloning is indispensable to the efforts of those who wish to advance the science of human cloning.