The ethics of reproductive and therapeutic cloning (research)

Abstract

In this article we argue that we have no good ethical reasons to prevent research on both, reproductive and therapeutic cloning. Our strategy is for each type of cloning research to demonstrate that no harms will occur to any person if such research goes ahead (and, indeed, if such a to-be-developed technology would be utilised at one point in the future). Furthermore, we show that there is substantial interest in the continuation of this research, and the availability of reproductive human cloning technologies. We argue that satisfying these interests, in the absence of any identifiable harms, would result in a positive, desirable outcome.