User blog comment:Gabriel Lutra/One Step at a Time/@comment-25363089-20140910035009/@comment-25351805-20140910050425

Perfect opening topic!

I'd have to say cloning falls into the same ethical category as human embryonic stem cell research. For us to manipulate cells in such a way as to defy the course of nature is inherently problematic, to say the least. That is of course assuming we follow deontological ethics, which espouse the values of universal law and would say that ANY attempt to thwart God's will, as it were, is bad, regardless of the good it can do.

However, if we look at it from a utilitarian ethics viewpoint, cloning is about as close to an absolute good as we can get. I'm not sure about our current research methods, what with all the money being used towards such an uncertain outcome, but overall, as a utilitarian myself, I can understand to a certain degree that the money is not really being wasted if the goal is so lofty. I wouldn't fund it to that extent, but if I had a million extra dollars lying around, a chunk of it would certainly go to such important research.