The Wisdom of Repugnance: Why We Should Ban the Cloning of Humans Study Notes

Discussed in the Valparaiso University Law Review, Volume 32, No. 2, Spring 1998, pages 679-705.
Focus on ethical implications and the arguments against human cloning.

Commission Report (June 1997):
- Concluded human cloning is "morally unacceptable" at this time.
- Recommended continuance of the President’s moratorium on federal funding for cloning.
- Called for federal legislation to prohibit attempts to create a child via cloning for the next 3-5 years.
Congressional Action:
- Bills were introduced in both the House and Senate to prohibit federal funds for cloning research.
- A specific House bill aimed to make it illegal for anyone to use a human somatic cell to produce a human clone.

History of Cloning Awareness:
- Cloning entered public discourse approximately 30 years ago with successful asexual reproduction techniques.
- Joshua Lederberg, Nobel Laureate, popularized the discussion on human cloning in the 1960s via publications.
- He emphasized eugenic advantages of cloning and genetic engineering.

Deterioration of Moral Discourse:
- Post-Dolly discussions reveal irony and moral fatigue in public sentiment about cloning.
- Significant voices advocating against cloning have faded, leading to a cynical acceptance of the technology.
- Cloning serves as a representation of contemporary societal views on reproduction.

Cultural Change:
- Societal views on procreation, sexuality, and family structure have shifts influenced by various movements (sexual revolution, feminism).
- Postmodern view undermines the natural connection between sexuality and procreation.

Arguments for Cloning:
- Some bioethicists advocate for cloning as a form of personal empowerment and reproductive freedom.
- Cloning viewed as a way to exercise individual rights in reproduction, to create desired offspring.
Counter-arguments:
- Cloning depersonalizes conceptions of identity and individuality, raising concerns about progeny created from planned genetic constructs.
- Represents a potential threat to traditional family structures, complicating relationships and definitions tied to kinship.
Distinction from Traditional Procreation:
- Traditional procreation involves both sexes contributing to the genesis of a child, ensuring an inherent uncertainty and individuality.
- Cloning negates this by designed manipulation of genetics, leading to ethical concerns about control and identity.

Identity Issues:
- Cloned individuals may face unique identity crises, carrying the weight of their genetic predecessor's life experiences.
Concerns arise regarding the emotional, social, and psychological burdens these unique relationships entail.
- Explores the repugnant nature of cloning from societal, psychological, and moral aspects, creating a discourse on the loss of individuality.

Liberal Perspective: Defends the freedom to reproduce and opposes limits based on subjective desires of parents.
Meliorist Perspective: Advocates for improving the human condition through genetic control and enhancement technology.
Critique of These Approaches: Asserts that these perspectives oversimplify the profound implications of human reproduction and experience.

Proposed Legislative Action:
- Suggests the need for a federal ban on human cloning through legislative means.
- Acknowledges the potential ineffectiveness of such bans but argues for an ethical responsibility to protect humanity from manufacturing practices akin to cloning.
Research Implications: Calls for cautious consideration of cloning research, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between human and animal cloning.
Rejection of cloning practices in all forms raises questions regarding the future of scientific ethics.
- Encourages a commitment to moral and ethical principles as biotechnology advances.

Emphasizes the need to maintain human dignity in the face of rapidly evolving genetic technologies.
The author concludes that a serious, clear-eyed commitment is necessary to secure the ethical integrity of human reproduction against cloning.