Expert: Walter Hintz - 10/25/2006

Question
Hello! I am a 21 year old college student, and after taking a biopsychology class along with a philosophy of technology class, I have become fascinated in the issue of genetic engineering and cloning. I have been thinking a lot about the pro's and con's of whether or not cloning should in fact become legalized someday. In my philosophy of tech class, our professor pointed out that the more technology advances the more ethics and morality will be lost..that someday test tube babies would take over the world, and they would be genetically enhanced superhumans, compared to us "naturals." I wanted to know what your opinion is on cloning, and whether you believe scientists should be allowed to advance in genetic engineering? Thank you! I greatly appreciate this!

Answer
Hi Mandie
Actually cloning goes on all the time and there is no legislation that prohibits it. It is going to be continuing despite protests to the contrary.  The argument usually boils down to the ethics of human cloning.
Cloning of individuals is a natural process of course.  Parthenogenesis occurs in many insects whereby individuals  reproduce without fertilization and new body tissues are the result of cloning.
Should we try to control the processes? If we can clone body organs I would certainly be in favor of doing so. But to clone a human being makes little sense to me.
I agree with your professor.  The novel "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley (around 1941) describes such a society and some of the events described in his book have now come to pass.
 I have mixed feelings about whether or not scientists should be allowed to pursue cloning.  I have no opposition to genetic engineering however.
 Research in this area is going to continue however no matter what you and I think.