Bioethics: A Battle Brewing?
Emerging over thirty years ago, the field of bioethics is increasingly coming into the forefront, especially with the latest developments in cloning being hotly debated. Is the purported Clonaid baby "Eve" heralding a brave new era as we stand at the doorstep of 2003? Bioethics “provides a practical language for mediating between developments in science and popular culture and a means for our society to talk about its deepest moral concerns, fears and hopes,” according to the
Center for Bioethics' mission statement.
Tonight's guest, Art Caplan Ph.D. of the Center, has spoken out against the prospect of human cloning. "Cloning has proven very reliable for making dying, stillborn and deformed babies. Many cloned animals die shortly after birth. Even those who have lived a long time such as Dolly (the sheep) have a large number of serious health problems," Caplan wrote in an article for MSNBC.
But as the technology advances it is likely that the problems in cloning may be removed. The Raelian group who is behind Clonaid, espouse the belief that the human species is the product of ET genetic tinkering, and therefore it is our birthright to make clones, since we were formed this way ourselves.
Issues about the artificial creation of life aren’t just restricted to mammals. Scientists are also experimenting with creating simple new forms with microbes. Caplan believes there is less to fear from these types of lifeforms which may be of great scientific usage. "After all, we have essentially been doing that for many centuries through systematic breeding of animals and plants," he wrote.
--L.L.
Recap
Engineering our Future
Roses that won't wilt for years. It's going to be possible with the latest in genetic plant engineering. But, "ultimately, what about us?" bioethicist Art Caplan posed on Monday night's show. What if we can make humans that won't wilt? Caplan said that one of the biggest issues we face in the future may not be about cloning ourselves but making ourselves better through genetics. We may be able to make our bodies stronger, faster and smarter but "it puts us smack in the middle of eugenics," Caplan said, framing a debate that may not be that far away. He also believes that another hot issue will be brought about by the increased ability to see inside the brain, which may be used in ways that could invade people's privacy.
While Caplan has some doubts about the current Raelian claims on cloning he does believe the procedure will eventually happen. He put an interesting twist on the debate by taking the viewpoint of the clone. "Is it psychologically (un)healthy for the clone because they look like someone else?" he asked. In a surprise call later in the show, Dannion Brinkley, the well-known expert on near death experiences, raised the topic of how the soul enters the body in relation to the creation of clones. Then during open lines, listeners weighed in on whether they would consider cloning themselves. "I would create 20 or 30 of myself to fulfill my life purpose," David from L.A. intriguingly stated.
Art Caplan