If You Had A Twin, But Didn't Realise...
Family Life16 mins ago
What Do You Think About Cloning?
23 Answers
If cloning was present in society, and there were humans being created, even if the process of cloning them were illegal, how do you think society would treat them?
Responses don't have to be research-based, overall I just want to hear other's opinions on the subject. However, I would like there to be some reasons why you feel that way whether it be based off religion, the way you were raised or because of experience or ethic beliefs.
Do you think they would be widely accepted into society? Or alienated because of their origins? Even if they were "accepted", what types of discrimination would fall on them?
What rights should they have, if any? If you do or don't think they should have rights, why? Should they be entitled to the same rights that everyone else is?
How should "common" society be protected from them? How should the cloned be protected from society?
If cloning is illegal, how should society, government, etc deal with those who were created by the process? If there were those who were not cloned "for the right reason" and instead to help the crime and corruption (human trafficking, organ selling, prostitution, etc) present in society, should those clones be treated any differently than clones that were used for reproductive or therapuetic reasons?
If a cloned committed crimes that are illegal in society, but has no knowledge of society, how should they be punished, if at all, and to what extent?
These are just some of the things I would like to see other's opinions on. Your response doesn't need to answer all of these. Overall, what do you think?
Responses don't have to be research-based, overall I just want to hear other's opinions on the subject. However, I would like there to be some reasons why you feel that way whether it be based off religion, the way you were raised or because of experience or ethic beliefs.
Do you think they would be widely accepted into society? Or alienated because of their origins? Even if they were "accepted", what types of discrimination would fall on them?
What rights should they have, if any? If you do or don't think they should have rights, why? Should they be entitled to the same rights that everyone else is?
How should "common" society be protected from them? How should the cloned be protected from society?
If cloning is illegal, how should society, government, etc deal with those who were created by the process? If there were those who were not cloned "for the right reason" and instead to help the crime and corruption (human trafficking, organ selling, prostitution, etc) present in society, should those clones be treated any differently than clones that were used for reproductive or therapuetic reasons?
If a cloned committed crimes that are illegal in society, but has no knowledge of society, how should they be punished, if at all, and to what extent?
These are just some of the things I would like to see other's opinions on. Your response doesn't need to answer all of these. Overall, what do you think?
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One would hope that people would treat other human beings as they wished to be treated themselves, but i think initially there would be suspicion and some "them and us" type attitudes. Hopefully this will never need to be tested though since there is no reasonable reason t create humans by cloning given we have a perfectly workable human creation system that already works, and is much more fun.
If it were illegal the clone would be the victim not the perpetrator so punishing them is not an issue.
If it were illegal the clone would be the victim not the perpetrator so punishing them is not an issue.
Huge question with many caveats to each facet you want answers to. My suggestion would be to read a few SF books on human cloning. Food site here:
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It depends on timescales, and whether or not there is any real advantage to cloning. I don't see it at this point as anything other than a curiosity, something that we can look into doing just because we can -- though that could equally well apply to other less controversial areas of science.
In the long-term, if cloning is ever developed and becomes successful, then they would probably become a part of society like any other, with equal rights and probably equal problems. Not at first, though! Humans are very good, it seems, at finding a reason to hate people who are different. Clones would surely be looked down on as "fake life" or something equally unfair.
Because a true clone would be a human just as much as I am, so he or she would have the full ability to be aware of society, and values, if educated properly. So a clone committing a crime should face the same laws as a human.
Interesting point about the "for the wrong reason" cloning. Though this might not be too much of an issue as the technique is probably going to be (a) very difficult, and (b) very expensive. Also a clone would grow and develop at the same rate as a "normal" human so it would be a long-term project to make clones for trafficking or prostitution.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I've never thought about it before except perhaps to think of the speculation as fairly pointless because "it ain't gonna happen".
In the long-term, if cloning is ever developed and becomes successful, then they would probably become a part of society like any other, with equal rights and probably equal problems. Not at first, though! Humans are very good, it seems, at finding a reason to hate people who are different. Clones would surely be looked down on as "fake life" or something equally unfair.
Because a true clone would be a human just as much as I am, so he or she would have the full ability to be aware of society, and values, if educated properly. So a clone committing a crime should face the same laws as a human.
Interesting point about the "for the wrong reason" cloning. Though this might not be too much of an issue as the technique is probably going to be (a) very difficult, and (b) very expensive. Also a clone would grow and develop at the same rate as a "normal" human so it would be a long-term project to make clones for trafficking or prostitution.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I've never thought about it before except perhaps to think of the speculation as fairly pointless because "it ain't gonna happen".
My opinion - Cloning a human being is morally wrong.
However, stem cells, at least in theory, could be used to grow healthy tissue to treat a variety of diseases, including diabetes, strokes, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Cloned stem cells would have a potential advantage in that they would use a patient's DNA and, therefore, be less likely to be rejected by the immune system.
However, stem cells, at least in theory, could be used to grow healthy tissue to treat a variety of diseases, including diabetes, strokes, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Cloned stem cells would have a potential advantage in that they would use a patient's DNA and, therefore, be less likely to be rejected by the immune system.
Problem would be the public interest, with the press having a high old time. The first IVF baby got all that, but now it's not a matter of interest. Dolly the sheep had a rough time too ! Don't see anything wrong in cloning a human. If it was common enough, nobody would be paying attention, and a human is a human, however created.
Why bother ? The old-fashioned way seems to create vast (and probably excessive) numbers of humans. To use difficult, expensive, unpredictable and possibly dangerous methods to create yet more seems a terrible waste of time. You seem to think "clone" equals "zombie". A true clone, if we could make such a thing, would be totally indistinguishable from a normal human, and would have to be treated as such.
If you attempt cloning, however, you will always have the problem of the half-way "thing". A creature whose cloning was half-successful. You get a dreadful freak. Then what ? Kill it ? Classify it as non-human ? Let it live and breed ? No research ethics committee is going to allow any scientists to start down this road. And no criminals could possibly find the resources, personnel, facilities or laboratories required. Let alone the secrecy.
If you attempt cloning, however, you will always have the problem of the half-way "thing". A creature whose cloning was half-successful. You get a dreadful freak. Then what ? Kill it ? Classify it as non-human ? Let it live and breed ? No research ethics committee is going to allow any scientists to start down this road. And no criminals could possibly find the resources, personnel, facilities or laboratories required. Let alone the secrecy.
I'm not sure people always understand what a clone is
You don't produce a fully formed adult copy of the first - it's a twin separated in time.
If a mother asked to give birth to identical twins (albeit bizarre I'm not sure there'd be such an uproar.
But she's asked for one baby to be cloned.
There are also issues - I believe current cloning techniques are imperfect but let's presume they were perfect.
The main reason for not allowing cloning is that thee is no good reason to do so.
Perhaps a mother who lost a baby to cot death would like to have a child just the same as the one that died but it's not a good reason to do it
You don't produce a fully formed adult copy of the first - it's a twin separated in time.
If a mother asked to give birth to identical twins (albeit bizarre I'm not sure there'd be such an uproar.
But she's asked for one baby to be cloned.
There are also issues - I believe current cloning techniques are imperfect but let's presume they were perfect.
The main reason for not allowing cloning is that thee is no good reason to do so.
Perhaps a mother who lost a baby to cot death would like to have a child just the same as the one that died but it's not a good reason to do it
from many sci fi films it seems likely that the process would be abused unfortunately.
i agree with jtp about what clones are - the clones we are currently able to produce are not lifesize ready made models, that come out of a big container looking like a man - like we see in some films
its just eggs and test tubes etc, and they would be a baby like any other.
if we ever were able to create a big machine that churned out grown humans identical to their 'owner' - then i think if they were identifiable they would be somewhat ostracized by many - many people cannot handle someone having a different colour skin from them, or even hair colour for some idiots, so i hardly think clones would just slot right in.
i agree with jtp about what clones are - the clones we are currently able to produce are not lifesize ready made models, that come out of a big container looking like a man - like we see in some films
its just eggs and test tubes etc, and they would be a baby like any other.
if we ever were able to create a big machine that churned out grown humans identical to their 'owner' - then i think if they were identifiable they would be somewhat ostracized by many - many people cannot handle someone having a different colour skin from them, or even hair colour for some idiots, so i hardly think clones would just slot right in.
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