Is it ethically right to create a clone for its organs?

NSFW Forums: Ethics, Organs, Science, Biology, Cloning
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Is it ethically right to create a reproductive clone (by which I mean a complete clone, not just an organ or so) for its organs?

I know there have been some books written about cloning (e.g. My Sister's Keeper), but I was curious; what do you think?

For those of you who think this shouldn't be allowed, here's another question for you: What if the clone was kept unconscious the whole time?

And for those of you who think this should be allowed: Would creating clones for other purposes be justifiable? (e.g. clones in Star Wars)

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@Johnshead,

It's no more ethically right to create a clone for its organs than it is to create another human being for its organs.

1 Reply

@rosborne979,

But we sometimes take organs from brain dead patients. What's the difference between taking organs from them or unconscious clones?

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@Johnshead,

How did you come up with this question 0_0 Very...disturbing

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@Johnshead,

Johnshead wrote:

But we sometimes take organs from brain dead patients. What's the difference between taking organs from them or unconscious clones?

Because there's a difference between a corpse and an unconscious human being.

You use the word clone as if you imagine this will not be a person in his own right, and may very well refuse to donate body parts he happens to be using.

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@chai2,

1 Reply

@chai2,

what if we just wanted the hair?

would it be okay then...?

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@Johnshead,

Johnshead wrote:

But we sometimes take organs from brain dead patients. What's the difference between taking organs from them or unconscious clones?

What makes you think a clone would be unconscious?

Cloning hasn't actually been accomplished in human beings yet, but even when they finally do make it happen it isn't going to be like it is in sci-fi where the clone pops out of a glass box all fully developed or something. It's going to start with a fertilized egg, grown in a surrogate, born and raised as the little child it is.

And since the implication is that it would be younger than its donor/creator, it might have a better argument for having the right to your organs than you do to its.

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@rosborne979,

To answer your question; the clone would be unconscious because I have arbitrarily set him to be. If the clone was conscious, I wouldn't agree to 'harvesting' their organs, but what if they were not?

1 Reply

@chai2,

But brain dead patients aren't corpses,

1 Reply

@Johnshead,

You're being childish.

You can't "arbitarily" make the Person unconscious or brain dead (which are far from the same thing).

Why would a human being suddenly become unconscious (as if that makes it ok to take his liver) or become brain dead? You can't just say "because I wish it to be" Did you cause this person to become brain dead? Then it's murder.

Your purpose is clearly to reproduce another human with the intent of using him or her as a convenience store.

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@Johnshead,

Quote:

What if the clone was kept unconscious the whole time?

Tell ya what we're gonna do here Johnshead. We're gonna make a clone of you then zap you unconscious and use all your organs for research and the annual kidney toss. Okay?

1 Reply

@Sturgis,

Sturgis wrote:

Quote:
What if the clone was kept unconscious the whole time?

Tell ya what we're gonna do here Johnshead. We're gonna make a clone of you then zap you unconscious and use all your organs for research and the annual kidney toss. Okay?

Or better yet, Johnshead can be the clone of someone else, then we'll knock his ass out and take his organs for his original.

1 Reply

@chai2,

Sounds like a good plan!

If he is the clone, it would give credence to the idea that clones aren't too bright.

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@Johnshead,

Johnshead wrote:

To answer your question; the clone would be unconscious because I have arbitrarily set him to be. If the clone was conscious, I wouldn't agree to 'harvesting' their organs, but what if they were not?

Well then, I guess you need to define the conditions of "cloning" in your make-believe scenario a bit before we can give a meaningful answer.

For example, if you said that the "clone" you produced was merely a headless torso that grew in that state from a specialized embryo and was allowed to grow to full size in some type of "box", then all you would be harvesting would be organs and limbs from a "non-living" (no head or brain) entity... then it might be more palatable to harvest its organs.

Or maybe more realistically... specific organs could be "cloned" and grown and harvested. I think that would be acceptable.

But the most likely near-term reality is that clones would come into the world pretty much the way everyone else does and would be perfectly healthy happy children with all the rights of any other child. Under those conditions having a clone would be like having a child, and you would be responsible for that child just the way it is now.

1 Reply

@rosborne979,

I think in his make believe scenerio the clone will feel some kind of bonding with the, what would you call it? Original?
The human cloned would be happy to sacrifice his heart or lungs, as it was meant to.

Ah, brave new world!

1 Reply

@Johnshead,

You might want to do a search at The Journal of Medical Ethics website. I know they've tackled the ethics of the subject of human cloning in the past and they're generally not afraid to take on even very controversial topics (yesterday's was a doozy -- after-birth abortion, or why killing a newborn should be permissible in all the cases where abortion is, including cases where the newborn is not disabled).

You're sure to find opinions both for and against the subject of your interest.

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@chai2,

I said 'If' just in case you haven't noticed

1 Reply

@Johnshead,

So what's your point?

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@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

I think in his make believe scenerio the clone will feel some kind of bonding with the, what would you call it? Original?
The human cloned would be happy to sacrifice his heart or lungs, as it was meant to.

If my son wanted to sacrifice himself for me, I wouldn't let him.

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Is it ethically right to create a clone for its organs?

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