Summary Of The Wisdom Of Repugnance By Leon Kass

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In Leon Kass’ essay “The Wisdom of Repugnance,” he argues against the biotechnological advances, which have lead to cloning human beings. This scientific development has been established in response for those who have lost loved ones and wishes to replace them. In this piece, Kass questions science and the affect it has had on mankind. He believes that though there are many positives that have come from technology, there a limit on the power human beings should possess. Consequently, has man crossed the point to make life, a natural phenomenon into an artificial experiment? The cloning procedure consists of using the nucleus cell of an individual and placing it into the egg of a female. The embryo would therefore consist of the DNA from the …show more content…

One of the most fundamental differences between sexual reproduction and cloning is the foundation of the act. The forming of an offspring is based on nature, that the two respective gametes will join together to form a zygote and eventually a person. The creation of an offspring is also based on chance. A man and woman must engage in the act but it does not guarantee a child. Conversely, in human cloning, the act of cloning is determined by the scientist performing the procedure, the woman whose egg is used and the person being replicated. Human cloning has removed nature from the production of life, which contradictions the intrinsic meaning of life. Nature dictates the meaning of life, but cloning removes this important aspect that human life has. Sexual production also creates children that are genetically part of each parent equally. A child is the manifestation of each parent by receiving the same amount of chromosomes from the mother and father. Though the child may be formed from two people, the person is also completely unique. There is no one else in the world that is exactly the same as any individual. Kass believes that this is what shows “our identity and about our human condition altogether.” Since the creation of man is based on two people to create one distinct person, then human cloning directly conflicts with the creation of new

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