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The topsy-turvy cloning law.
Iain Brassington1, Stuart Oultram
1University of Manchester. iain.brassington@manchester.ac.uk
Monash Bioethics Review
|October 29, 2011
Summary
The law distinguishes between therapeutic and reproductive cloning, but this research argues therapeutic cloning warrants more moral concern. We should focus legal scrutiny on the right type of cloning for ethical considerations.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Biotechnology Law
- Human Cloning
Background:
- Current legal frameworks differentiate between therapeutic and reproductive human cloning.
- Societal consensus generally views therapeutic cloning as less morally objectionable than reproductive cloning.
- Laws often permit therapeutic cloning for research while prohibiting reproductive cloning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To challenge the conventional legal and ethical distinction between therapeutic and reproductive cloning.
- To argue that therapeutic cloning may present greater moral concerns than reproductive cloning.
- To advocate for a re-evaluation of legal scrutiny regarding human cloning technologies.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical analysis of ethical arguments surrounding human cloning.
- Comparative examination of legal approaches to therapeutic versus reproductive cloning.
- Ethical reasoning applied to the moral implications of different cloning applications.
Main Results:
- The study posits that the legal distinction between therapeutic and reproductive cloning is counterintuitive.
- It suggests that if a moral distinction exists, therapeutic cloning warrants more ethical concern.
- The current legal framework may be misdirecting ethical scrutiny.
Conclusions:
- The conventional legal and ethical approach to human cloning requires re-examination.
- Greater moral scrutiny may be warranted for therapeutic cloning applications.
- Legal and ethical frameworks should accurately target the most concerning aspects of cloning technology.
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Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
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Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
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