Therapeutic Cloning (Biomedical Ethics)

Charles Lohman

Therapeutic Cloning

• Therapeutic cloning is called therapeutic because of its potential to rejuvenate tissues or even replace organs damaged from degenerative diseases.– Embryonic stem cells (ES) might cure or at least

alleviate the symptoms of diseases that adversely affect the quality of many people’s lives.

Therapeutic CloningExisting People -v- Potential People

• Opponents say it destroys potential human life.– The claim is that once ES cells have been mined from

the cloned embryos, the embryos will be destroyed, destroying potential human life.• In other words, since an embryo has the potential to

become a human being, it has a right to life, thus therapeutic cloning would violate this right and therefore should be prohibited.

– So the conclusion is: • Even if therapeutic cloning could improve the lives of

existing people suffering from degenerative diseases, it should be prohibited because it destroys potential human life.

Therapeutic CloningExisting People -v- Potential People

• Advocates say embryos are a clump of cells.– The claim is that embryos cannot have interests and

rights because they are nothing more than a nonintegrated clump of cells.• In other words, if embryos cannot have interests or rights,

then they cannot be harmed or wronged by not becoming persons.

– So the conclusion is:• Since embryos cannot suffer from and be harmed by not

realizing their potential, it should be permitted because existing people can suffer from and be harmed by disease.

Therapeutic CloningExisting People -v- Potential People

• Opponents say it violates the sanctity of human life from the time of conception.– So the conclusion is:

• Embryos embody the sanctity of human life, thus it should be prohibited.

• Advocates say both, potential people and existing people, embody the sanctity of life so both have equal moral status.– They say what makes them unequal is that potential people

cannot suffer, while existing people can suffer.– So the conclusion is:

• If embryos cannot be harmed, and if therapeutic cloning can alleviate suffering, then therapeutic cloning should be permitted.– In other words, if the suffering of existing people is morally worse than

creating and destroying embryos, then we should be more concerned about alleviating the suffering of existing people.