Everyone wants a clone, but I don’t understand why.
For those parents who desire clones to replace their deceased children, perhaps clones will offer them condolences to a certain extent, for the replicas of their children may be reassuring. But these clones lack the personalities, memories, traits, and experiences of their deceased predecessors. Without these essentials, the clone will never be the same as the real person who existed before. If this is the case, what then is the purpose of creating a clone?
For those sterile couples who yearn for children, perhaps clones will give them the children they had always desired, especially ones who resemble them more perfectly than their own biological children ever would. But why don’t they resort to IVF instead? Why cloning? According to USA today, clones have “a good chance of being brain-damaged” and possessing “devastating birth defects.” Therefore, not only are clones no better than children conceived through IVF, but they also create more problems than solutions as potential parents may face more obstacles and difficulties in raising clones with all the negative effects that could result.
In addition, people may argue that clones are a necessity for every narcissist. But as aforementioned, without the distinct, unique personalities, memories, character traits, and personal experiences of a person, clones are nothing but empty shells. They may outwardly resemble you, but inwardly, they could be someone else’s clone for all you know. You can never be replaced by your clone. Your clone is not you.
So why do we continue the pursuit of cloning technology? Perhaps it is because we seek the unattainable, the amazing, the absurd, the ridiculous. But everything that is unattainable, amazing, absurd, and ridiculous is not always the best option for humankind.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/educate/college/healthscience/articles/20030126.htm
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
You asked at the end of your blog post: why do we continue to pursue this cloning technology? You stated the possibility that it was because we as humans seeks “the unattainable, the amazing, the absurd, the ridiculous,” but I do not believe that is just that, but that their must be something more to it. There are some people who do not see it that way. People see what they want to see and they will find away in which they do think it is possible to make happen.
For example, if a couple is sterile and they chose not to have in vitro fertilization, but rather to have cloning, this is their way to have a child who resembles them. People see what they want and then they find a way in which they do think it is possible to happen. These people are not going after the unattainable or the absurd, but rather something they really believe can happen. We pursue and seek cloning because in our eyes it is attainable.
Some people may even try to recreate a child in the case of the child’s death because they are so heartbroken. Although this child will most likely not have the same personality, memories, and experiences as the original child, a mother and/or father may create it with the hope that they might be able to recreate these and bring back either most of or all of the loved one (at least it would be something rather than nothing). It is not a totally unrealistic goal and hope in their eyes, and it is a risk worth trying.
Post a Comment