Preview

What Lies Ahead?

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
428 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Lies Ahead?
Today's future is obsessed with the future. Millions of people read their horoscopes daily, hoping for insight into their future. Financial analysts make predictions of the financial markets. Film directors create sci-fi films depicting what the future might be. David Brook's article, Looking Back on Tomorrow," discusses his vision of what the future might look like. Brook predicts that the future will have extensive medical technology, globalization of power, economic inequality and democracy. Having observed these trends, I agree that the future will be heavily influenced by the issues Brook discusses. Having witnessed the poverty in Kenya in comparison to the opulence in the United States of America, it is evident that the economic divide between the rich and poor will continuer to grow. However, beyond the medical and economic what moral issues will arise in the future resulting from these topics? I would like to further explore the public's potential response to future medical breakthroughs specifically cloning in relation to Christian ethics, making a prediction of the moral struggles future generations will face. Lee Silver's article "Reprogenetics: A Glimpse of things to Come" explores the future possibility of human cloning. Silver describes a theoretical situation of an expectant mother who is carrying her own clone. This ‘sci-fi' plot is a looming possibility with the numerous medical advancements. As the Bible does not directly condemn human cloning Christians must infer whether this is right or wrong. Wayne Joseph's, an author for the Christian Courier, wrote "The Ethics of Human Cloning" he describes a series of the moral implications of cloning. He asks why scientists want to clone human beings. He answers this question by writing, "…they are anxious to create a brand of create a brand of humans with whom they can experiment." He compares their actions as being similar to Adolf Hitler during the cold war. He describes scientists' actions

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Most people would concede that cloning and genetic enhancements are two notorious words that most would not consent with. In Mr. Kass’s article “Preventing Brave New World” commences on the astonishing achievements in bio-medical science and technology. Mr. Leon E. Kass agrees that people should be obliged for the breakthrough of advanced bio medical science and technology. Mr. Kass’s incredible work in bio-ethical science has placed this very well known philosopher in the white house with the Bush’s administration. Mr. Kass mentions in his article that we live in a world where transforming powers are already being applied in the 20th century, For example; In vitro fertilization, bottled embryos wombs, surrogate wombs, cloning, genetic screening,…

    • 1985 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Van Dijck, J. (1999). Cloning humans, cloning literature: genetics and the imagination deficit. New Genetics & Society, 18(1), 9.…

    • 1944 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This morality factor has led to many questions to arise such as: is this enhancement fair to those whom can’t afford it? Should we fight to make this enhancement available for all? Or are we simply trying to play God, and if so are we ready for such grand responsibility? Nevertheless, we are curious creatures and with the prospects of genetic engineering proving for many to countless to pass up entirely the research continues. Inevitably causing our society to sprint to catch up on our moral studies so that we can better understand were the scientist are intellectually. Until we reach this point however, we can only stand in awe as the possibilities of this vast new technology continue to frighten yet somehow at the same time astound…

    • 1660 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    What is the job or the graduate program? The graduate program that I am applying for is the Northeastern University Physician Assistant program. The program is 24 months, the first year consist of multiple courses that prepare students for the PA exam (PANCE). In addition, it also serve as the base for becoming a PA.…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    As the Dalai Lama said, “The rapid increase in human knowledge and the technological possibilities emerging in the new genetic science are such that it is now almost impossible for ethical thinking to keep pace with these changes” (Dalai Lama 133). Society needs to be able to be reasonable about the use of a new technology if it the ethics surrounding it is not right. There needs to always be an emphasis placed on the problems that theses technology bring in order to prevent a person ’s right from being taken away from them due to that technology. This requires that here is always reason-forcing conversation when the use of a new technology is being…

    • 1693 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    In this paper, I will discuss how Kantian views and ethics help us understand whether it is morally ethical to clone for the purpose of bettering our lives. Two points have to be distinguished. How exactly will human cloning aid medicine and society, and the implications of human worth and dignity when applied to clones.…

    • 1585 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the shudder test people quickly “hit the moralization button and look for villains rather than bug fixes.” People all too often confuse “practical problems as moral crusades.” He notes that experts say our initial repugnance “may be the only voice left that speaks up to defend the central core of our humanity.” These experts advise us to “go with our gut” on such controversies like human cloning or other biomedical technologies. Pinker, however, argues that this would be cause faulty reasoning, because there are many “good reasons to regulate human cloning” that we simply disregard on account of our moral senses. He brings up a valid point that “People have shuddered at all kind of morally irrelevant violations of purity in their culture…and if our ancestors’ repugnance had carried the day, we never would have had autopsies, vaccinations, blood transfusions, artificial insemination, organ transplants, and in viro fertilization, all of which were denounced as immoral when they were new.” So, many of our medical advances would have never occurred because moral rationalizations would have gotten in the way. Steven Pinker rationalizes that “Our habit of moralizing problems, merging them with intuitions of purity and contamination, and resting content when we feel the right feelings, can get in the way of doing the right thing.” He proposes…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thesis Statement: Although human cloning is a scientific discovery of great significance which is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human it has some medical advantages; however, it raises high debates because of its religious, ethical, and scientific disadvantages.…

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On Cloning a Human Being

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The main topic can be a topic of controversy; before and after reading the passage, my stance on human cloning stays the same. I still believe that it is not right and not necessary, and that people should focus on more relevant issues in todays world. Cloning wont feed the poor, get people jobs, help the economy, or cure AIDS. People should learn what to focus on and invest more time and money in issues with potential benefits to society, not something like cloning. Lewis Thomas seems to take a similar stance in his work.…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Satire On Cloning

    • 586 Words
    • 3 Pages

    For many years, scientists have been experimenting in the field of cloning. Cloning uses an egg cell and a somatic cell to make a duplicate copy of the organism. It is currently a highly controversial topic in the scientific world. Many people can benefit from cloning. From farmers to patients, not only does cloning help scientists discover more about genetics, it will also help a lot of people. However, there are also ethical issues with cloning, such as the use of embryonic stem cells and cross-species hybrids. For instance, at the Salk institute, a human-pig embryo was recently made and destroyed. The purpose of the experiment was to see if human organs could be grown inside a pig. The authors believe that we are still far off from accomplishing cloning of human organs in animals. I believe that cloning will help this world, but there needs to be restrictions on human cloning and cross-breeding.…

    • 586 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Currently, contemporary scientists have developed cloning by taking the genetic blueprint for a living being (their DNA) and creating another person using the exact same blueprint for reproductive and therapeutic reasons. (Esposito) Just as Dr. Frankenstein created his monster out of selfishness, some people desire to generate clones for their own self-interest. Consequently, reproductive cloning could allow infertile couples a chance to have children in their own image, and provide grieving parents a chance to DNA duplicate their child. While that sounds compassionate, producing a clone would also allow parents to use the child to live the life they always wanted, use the “copy” to examine their own psyche, or even to aid in the quest for immortality. (Smith Benefits) In therapeutic cloning, clones would be exploited for harvesting organs, healthy cells, and even sources for plastic surgery. (Smith Benefits) Compelling Truth contends that ” there are many other reasons for cloning, but they all suffer from abundant self-absorption.” (CompellingTruth Christian Cloning) It is difficult to express how vast of an ego cloning could satisfy. An important question is whether the use of technology should be manipulated for narcissistic ends. The underlying feeling in Frankenstein is that Victor wanted to prove he could use his scientific knowledge beyond the limits.…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Eugenics

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages

    As knowledge and technology increases so does power. Those that can afford to use biotechnology will, and those who cannot afford will be left powerless. Therefore the rich become richer and the poor will be disadvantaged. There is also fear that, just as it has in the past, the power will shift back from the individual to that state in order to manage the populations size and health in a very utilitarian approach. Although eugenics in the sense of the word is now nonexistent, many modern genetic practices can be regarded as similar or the same for instance “Prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion of fetuses with malformations or genetic disease can be considered an earlier phase of the same philosophy (German euthanasia of children with congenital defects)- namely, the elimination of lives not worth living (Tormey 1976).”…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cloning In Frankenstein

    • 1400 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Cloning and stem cell research have come a long way in the past few decades. Expert scientist have the capability of making an exact, physical copy of a living body as well using stem cells to cure genetic diseases. Although these two topics are quite common now, they weren’t well known when Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein fictional novel was initially published. The idea of cloning may have been new and debatable at the time, but Shelley took the idea with a more fictional perspective. With this novel, debates on the risk of cloning, how the novel portrays the science of cloning, and the ethics of the science may arise. Cloning and stem cell research is evident in the novel Frankenstein where Victor creates a functioning human companion, mainly…

    • 1400 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Eugenics

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The moral values that societies set in place in order to maintain the most efficient means of interaction among its people are essential in the prosperity and manageability of the population. Ideas that challenge or denounce these values put the well-being of society at risk. The theological aspects of eugenics contradict the basis of ethical standards in the United States. Due to its concern with competitive fertility, this method of genetic engineering can be argued as the antithesis of reproductive freedom. Competitive fertility introduces the method of sterilization, which is the act of making an individual infertile. Although it is unfavorable by over half of the geneticists in the United States, countries such as China and India have come close to requiring mandatory sterilization by law. (Wertz 503) The fact that this concept has the ability to inspire such favorability of an act that revokes the reproductive rights of those deemed “unfit” to reproduce is baffling. How can a human being feel content in supporting a cause that holds such immoral notions? Granting scientific judgment the power to label individuals genetically fit or unfit is allowing them to cross the…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Human cloning has been a significant theme in Science Fiction for many years, with its portrayal often being that of negative or ‘evil’ influence. Although the term ‘clone’ was never used within the novel, one of the first Science Fiction works about human cloning is Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’, which depicts a world in which human reproduction has been manipulated and babies are grown in…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays