Rob, Adam & All
The cloning issue did not raise any great debate, but it hasn't really left me. I
noticed what Rob D. wrote but before commenting on that I want to return to
Adam's original question:
> > I was just wondering if anyone would have anything to
> > say about the morality of human cloning from a
> > MOQ-point of view. It would seem moral to me because
> > the creation of life (birth) is a Dynamic event. A
> > human is a source of thought so wouldn't it be moral
> > to create one? I would love to here some comments.
First I find the "dynamic" all too easy, much like God in religions. Life - be it is
an amoeba or a human organism - is BIOLOGY and includes all methods of
reproduction so at LIFE'S premises whatever brings out more organisms is
warmly welcomed (if it could speak:). About a human as "a source of thought"
is Intellect where no levels exist except mind and matter. The true MOQ view
is something beyond in which these level contexts are visible.
An aside: Isn't t cloning just another name for life's oldest method of
reproduction - when each organism can divide into new ones? At that plane
they (the organisms) are "eternal" and the invention of sex also means
introducing DEATH ...in exchange for greater diversity.
Anyway the lower level's values are what the next level is called upon to bring
under control and considering the bio-socio relationship we see that society is
preoccupied with sex (the chief bio. value). Now, faced with this artificial
repro. method society (our social self) balks: Cloning is not from sexual
intercourse and as such foreign to what society is familiar with, yet it IS
reproduction and thus something it has a knee-jerk reaction to, so notice that
it is the various (Christian) churches that protested first (wonder how the
Moslems or Jews looks upon this issue. Jonathan and Rasheed!!!).
Cloning is a result of science - and as such Intellect's "child" - but that level
isn't concerned with life on life's premises, only to the extent it struggles with
Society. Therefore Intellect regards cloning as great - at first sight - but as
shown above it isn't what Society is "trained" to recognize so even Intellect is
a bit confused, but keeps harping on its own mantra about increasing medical
knowledge and benefits for humankind.
Then the Quality view? In my view of the MOQ -as something (slightly)
beyond Intellect - it tends to side with Society, but since cloning isn't a natural
biological process (at the mammal level) the reactions of the higher levels are
also "unnatural" and the unease shows at the MOQ (level). I am at a loss to
know what to think about it, the point about stem cell research and of having a
clone for spare parts sounds good, but ....??
On 15 March 2002 at 11:57, Rob D wrote:
> Cloning is a tough issue, your analysis assumes that a clone does not
> replace the life of a "new" (unique) individual which would consume
> the same resources. I'd say a unique person is somewhat more dynamic
> than a clone, although that will depend on who you clone.
Well, inventing gene mixing was for some purpose, maybe more dynamic -
greater diversity.
> The issue of cloning a person's cells to save them (eg embyronic stem
> cell research) is another issue entirely. It's sacrificing the life a
> biological person for the life of a biological, social, intellectual
> and spiritual person. It seems clear to me that it's falls under the
> doctors vs. germs agrument. By killing one single celled organsism, if
> you can save the living person and their ideas, it is the moral
> choice.
These are - as you say Rob - tough issues. A "biological person"? If for
instance a clone is to be a spare part "bank" it has to be a grown-up individual
and will naturally share our social and intellectual universe (might even be a
Pirsig fan!!) unless brain-damaged on purpose and that will be impossible by
all means and levels.
Bo
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