Cloning: Kass and Brock

What are Kass’s three main reasons for rejecting human cloning?

1. Cloning can harm the clones individuality

2. turn having children into manufacturing

3. make parents treat children like property

How can cloning harm the cloned person’s individuality?

The clone may feel like a copy instead of their own unique person

What does Kass mean when he says cloning turns procreation into “manufacture”?

Having a child becomes like making or designing a product

Why does Kass think cloning can make children seem like commodities?

Parents may treat the child like something chosen, designed, or made for their own wants

How could cloning encourage parents to treat children like property?

Parents may feel ownership over the child because the created or selected them in a specific way

What does “repugnance” mean?

Repugnance means a strong feeling of disgust or revulsion

What is the wisdom of repugnance?

It means that deep feelings of disgust can sometimes warn us that something is morally wrong

Does Kass think disgust automatically proves something is wrong? Why or why not?

No. disgust does not always prove something is wrong, but Kass thinks it can point us toward a deeper moral truth

How can repugnance point us toward moral truth?

It can make us notice that something may violate human dignity before we can fully explain why

What does Kass mean by given nature?

Human life is something naturally given, not something humans should fully design, copy, or control

Why does Kass think cloning goes against given nature?

Cloning treats human life like something manufactured instead of naturally received

For kass, why is it important to accept children as they are instead of designing them?

because children should be seen as their own persons, not as products made to satisfy parents

What is a rights-based argument?

A rights-based argument focuses on what people have the moral right or freedom to do

What is a consequentialist argument?

A consequentialist argument focuses on whether the results of an action are good or bad

What is the main rights-based argument for cloning?

People have reproductive rights, so they should be able to choose cloning as a way to have children

How does reproductive freedom support cloning?

It supports cloning by saying people should have freedom to decide how they reproduce

What is one possible benefit of cloning?

It could help people who cannot have children naturally

How could cloning help infertile couples?

It could give them another way to have a genetically relateed child

How could cloning help with genetic disease?

It could help parents avoid passing on certain genetic disease

Why does Brock not immediately reject cloning like Kass does?

Brock looks at both the possible benefits and harms before deciding whether cloning is wrong

Which author is more strongly against cloning?

kass is more strongly against cloning

Which author gives a more balanced view of cloning?

Brock gives a more balanced view

How are Kass and Brock different in how they approach cloning?

Kass focuses on dignity, identity, and human nature, while Brock focuses on rights, benefits, and harms

What would Kass likely say is the biggest problem with cloning?

Cloning disrespects human dignity by treating children like products

What would Brock likely say we need to consider before deciding if cloning is wrong?

We need to consider people’s rights, possible benefits, and possible harms