Abstract

This paper focuses on somatic cell nuclear transfer technology , also known as cloning. It examines the ethical ramifications of cloning for both therapeutic and reproductive purposes. The paper argues that once the technology of cloning is refined to the point where it is no more risky than conventional reproduction; there will be no strong ethical justification for forbidding human reproductive cloning. It is further argued that the ethical problems arising from the creation and destruction of embryos in stem cell research could be circumvented if scientists were to abandon the embryonic stem cell research program in favor of the less controversial but therapeutically successful adult stem cell research program