Cloning Essay Example for Free

Cloning Essay This paper seeks to explore the scientific concept of cloning. The focus is on the origin of cloning, its meaning, and human cloning as well as the moral, ethical and legal issues surrounding human cloning. The paper goes further on folk wisdom and pregnancy. Cloning in general refers to developing an identical copy of something. According to Morrison E. Eileen, John F. Monagle (2008, p. 103), cloning in organism biology refers to the creation of an organism that is an exact genetic copy of another organism. This involves developing exactly similar DNA make up between the two organisms. Cloning may be categorized into recombinant DNA technology cloning, reproductive cloning or therapeutic cloning. The first organism to be clone was a tadpole in the year 1952 through nuclear transfer technology; this was a product of several researches by scientist which were both published and unpublished. DNA cloning has a substantial contribution towards gene therapy, genetic engineering of organisms, and sequencing genomes. Gene therapy can be used to treat certain genetic conditions by introducing virus vectors that carry corrected copies of faulty genes into the cells of a host organism. Genes from different organism can be used to develop pest and disease resistant animals and plants. Through cloning, desired qualities in an organism can be retained. For instance, genetically engineered food crops are targeted at improved tastes and nutritional value and 2001 cloning of baby mouflon in Italy. Several factors have made scientists to believe that human cloning is impossible. There has been inefficiency in animal cloning with approximately 1-2 viable off springs in 100 attempts by researchers (Human Gerome Project, 2008). The few successful cloning are also prone to infections hence premature deaths are common with clones. A part from being considered unethical, scientists are afraid of the impact of cloning on human mental development. However, Australian House of Representatives passed a bill in 2006 legalizing therapeutic cloning and the creation of human embryos. Researchers believe therapeutic cloning could result in cures for diseases like Parkinsons and Alzheimers. Human cloning could also help resolve infertility problems by allowing those unable to pass genes to future generations to do so in a way that is at least analogous to the familial linkage of twins. (Cass R. Sunstein, Craven N. Martha, 1998, p. 71). Human cloning however faces some challenges as some people believe it is unethical to use a human clone to save the life of another. Other critics emphasize that interpersonal relationships and personal histories of people should be allowed to transfer between generations naturally as they believe cloning is interference in this process. Many religious organizations like the Catholic Church oppose all forms of cloning based on the belief that life begins at conception. Critics also say that clones tend to have more compromised immune function and higher rates of infection, tumor growth, and other disorders which has a major health implication. Most troubling is the legal concerns regarding the protection of the identity of the individual and the right to protect ones genetic identity. There is still no consensus on parenthood of a human clone and whether a clone child will have an open future. (Human Gerome Project, 2008) During pregnancy, the mother and the child are all and the same thing hence a lot of caution should be exercised on food and any substance consumed by the mother. Pregnant mothers should particularly refrain from smoking as this affects the mental and motor development of the child. Smoking constricts blood vessels hence limiting nutrients and oxygen supply to the foetus. This can result in mental disability or less brain weight. Their can also be developmental disability as well as poor coordination of motor skills when born.

Epic of Beowulf Essay - A True Literary Epic -- Epic Beowulf essays

Beowulf : A True Literary Epic       The Adventures of Beowulf, a rousing Old English poem of man and monster, and perhaps the earliest European vernacular epic, is rightfully considered an epic for it possesses those features which characterize epic poetry.    For example, in epic poetry the central character has heroic or superhuman qualities. In The Adventures of Beowulf, the main character, a Geat warrior named Beowulf, possesses such qualities: â€Å"He was the strongest of men alive in that day, mighty and noble.†Ã‚   Upon spotting Beowulf approaching, the sea-guard of the Danes says, â€Å"Never have I seen a greater man on earth†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚   King Hrothgar of the Danes says of Beowulf, â€Å"Seafarers who took gifts to the Geats say that he has the strength of 30 men in his hand grip.† Beowulf chooses to fight Grendel by himself and without shield or weapons; previously the hero slew 9 sea monsters with his sword. And he is fully willing to sacrifice his very life for this: â€Å"†¦ I alone will fulfill the wish of your people †¦ or die in the foe’s grasp.† Beowulf consciously chooses to act in a superhuman manner: â€Å"I shall perform the deeds of a hero or I have passed my last day in t his mead hall.† Even Grendel recognizes the hero’s superior strength: â€Å"The criminal knew he had not met in this middle-earth another with such a grip.† Other warriors when thinking of Beowulf â€Å"would quickly compose a skillful tale in words.† Hrothgar refers to Beowulf as â€Å"the best of warriors.†Ã‚   The Danish queen Wealhtheow compliments after Grendel’s defeat, â€Å"You have earned forever the praise of men from near and far.† Hrothgar expounds on good warriors: â€Å"This is the best-born man – my friend Beowulf †¦ the best of warriors.† When the dragon burns the mead hall of the... ...eat among his kin,† â€Å"war-death,† â€Å"held the gift-seat,† â€Å"a feast to ravens,† â€Å"old and wise,† â€Å"fell down battle-pale,† â€Å"battle-sweat,† â€Å"war-chief,† â€Å"drew his battle-knife,† â€Å"on his death-bed,† â€Å"death held him fast,† â€Å"feared evil days,† etc.    The Adventures of Beowulf is a poem of such stature that it manifests many common characteristics of epic poetry; therefore, it can rightfully be classified as an epic poem in its own right.    BIBLIOGRAPHY    Clark, George. Beowulf. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990.    Fry, Donald K. â€Å"Introduction: The Artistry of Beowulf.† In TheBeowulf Poet, edited byDonald K. fry. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.    Robinson, Fred C. â€Å"Apposed Word Meanings and Religious Perspectives.† In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.

Black Skin, White Masks

Frantz Fanon, an afro-Caribbean psychiatrist has so painstakingly showed the Black social reality of the to the whole world, through his book Black Skin, White Masks. He was clear to show that until today, this particular Black race is suffering from a â€Å"mental illness† that hinders his very existence into today’s society. Mental chains bound blacks. They are being restricted to act naturally in this world because they are unconsciously captivated by their own mindset and their own take on the French European White race.The colonized black Martiniquians are subject of Fanon’s psychoanalysis. He is a black man himself who belongs in a middle-class family in Martinique, which is a colony of France. The Black Martinique is socially ill in such a way he lets himself be an object of a White man’s pleasures. In page 40 of the book, Fanon says â€Å"the Negro is a toy in the White man’s hands; so, in order to shatter the hellish cycle, he explodes. â €  The Martinique Black men are regarded similar to a plaything of the White French European in Fanon’s eyes.And sadly enough, Black people believe that they have the power to do so. In their minds, the idea that there could be no race more dominant, more powerful, or more superior to that of the Whites is slowly building up. And as a result, the Black men unconsciously put themselves into the White Frenchmen’s authority. The educated Martinique blacks are socially anticipated to stand up for their race and individuality. But they fail to recognize this expectation of them. Instead, they strive to pattern their selves to be comparable to the French whites, rather than uphold their own race.These well-schooled Blacks gradually assume that they are raised to a certain status otherwise reserved for White people alone. They assess their success against the triumphs of the French Europeans; therefore they are following their standards. They then started to ignore their o wn states of being Black. Soon, the Martinique Black men developed immense inferiority complex. Fanon further states in page 25 of his book that â€Å"the Negroes’ inferiority complex is particularly intensified among the most educated, who must struggle with it unceasingly. †The Martinique Negroes or the Blacks referred here started to go out of their ways to prove their own existence, rather than to uphold their inherent worth, essence, uniqueness, and accomplishments. They started to be recognized in such a way they are not Blacks, but something else closer, if not equivalent, to the French European race. A mentally challenged Black man, as Fanon would put it, would evaluate himself in the perspective of a White person, rather than his own race’s. He would compare himself, all that he attained, and his personal value against his fellow Black brothers but under a White man’s scrutiny principles.A socially sick Black person lives under the shadow of a Wh ite man. The meaning of love and companionship of Martinique Blacks involved a mixed relationship scenario also becomes disoriented. To a Black man, being with a White person is considered as a dream relationship. They begin to believe that having a White partner is a form of an achievement in its own. It seems as if their social status is somewhat raised as they marry a White husband or wife. Given this reality, Martinique Blacks people tend to choose a White person to be their life-long companion instead.They would easily choose a White partner even though they seem to be less compatible than their Black counterparts. It would not matter if another Black person seems to be their own perfect match; what matters more is the stature a White person would give in their state of minds. A White partner seems to serve as a trophy, a medal, or a plaque. And it stops there. The real essence of choosing the person to love and to be with is all ignored. To quote Fanon in page 42, â€Å"I sho uld have like to be married, but to a White man. But a woman of color is never altogether respectable in a White man’s eyes.Even when he loves her. I knew that. † Given these facts, the Black Martiniques who are the subject of Fanon’s book do have psychopathology or mental illness. And majority of this is because of the trends in their current world. Their present state is lacking in Black advocates in general. There is really no institution that genuinely champions the Black cause. There is no Black-oriented entity that is well accepted and is not ridiculed. Everything that is Black in nature and in concept is trivialized and is deemed second-rate. Fanon’s suggested solution to a Black man’s sickness is to restructure the world.This is not going to be a simple task, given the situation. But it still has to start somewhere. And the solution has to start with the Martinique Black race. Black people should begin to realize that they have a dignity of their own. They should begin to establish their black race. They should unite together and make an impact to the society. They should all act according to their customs, their traditions, and their history that are mistakenly forgotten. It is about time that they should discontinue living within the standards of a race not their own.The sickness is merely mental, therefore the ultimate solution will come from the mind as well – inside the Martinique Black’s mind. Victory over this mental illness will be achieved by psychologically breaking away from the French European influence. Black people should come to realize that the White race is dominant only because they believed so. The White race is powerful only because lived in a society where it seems so. Without the Black people’s unconscious assumption that the Whites will always be better and stronger than Blacks, the mental chains will continue to exist.

Questions On Ethical And Ethical Theories - 980 Words

BA 18 Ethical Reflections Throughout the week there were several decisions that I had to make where ethical decision making had to be taken into consideration. There are two main ethical theories that many of us have to decide on everyday which are Consequent based or Duty based. According to Princeton.edu, Consequentialism is â€Å"those moral theories which hold that the consequences of one s conduct are the true basis for any judgment about the morality of that conduct.† Additionally according to sevenpillarsinstitue.org, Duty based ethics is that â€Å"we are morally obligated to act in accordance with a certain set of principles and rules regardless of outcome.† Those who act consequentially base person determined their decisions on the consequences that result from the decision, while the duty based person determines their decisions based on what is right, regardless of consequence. Five ethical decisions that I had to decide on during the week were; cooking breakfast for friends, not stay ing later for a worker, not taking $5 that was left on the counter, helping others at work when I wasn’t busy, and going to a meeting and not studying. On Saturday morning, our Fraternity had a Ritual that started at 9 AM, and before the Ritual I told people that I would cook them breakfast. This decision I chose was a consequent based decision due to the positive result that occurred when I did. I did not have an obligated to cook people breakfast, but I chose to do so because it would helpShow MoreRelatedQuestions On Ethical Theories And Tests1363 Words   |  6 Pages7 Ethical Theories/Tests In this section we will run the concept of automation in the workforce through 7 ethical theories/tests, to see if this concept fits ethical implications used in business. 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This theory is most well known as â€Å"the greatest good to the greatest amount of people (Jennings Units 1-3, 2015).† The overall value of automationRead MoreEthics1435 Words   |  6 PagesSome Fundamental Concepts in EthicsEthics may be broadly defined as that division of philosophy which deals with questions concerning the nature of value in matters of human conduct.While virtually all people are concerned with making ethical judgments and decisions, philosophers in particular are concerned to  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a) explicate the nature of such judgments in general  and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   b) provide criteria for determining what is ethically right or wrong, and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   c) analyze the groundsRead MoreTimothy Chappell s Moral Theory1052 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"moral theory† into question. But, what is moral theory? 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In spite of the great importance of theory-building and theory testing within your field of specialization, there is no generally accepted conception of what a theory is. Because your dissertation must contribute to theory, you must have a clear understanding of the variety of conceptions of theory, types of theories, and ways of contributing to theory and beRead More Ethical and Philosophical Questions about Value and Obligation977 Words   |  4 PagesEthical and Philosophical Questions about Value and Obligation I Recall the distinction between metaethics and normative ethics. Normative ethics deals with substantial ethical issues, such as, What is intrinsically good? What are our moral obligations? Metaethics deals with philosophical issues about ethics: What is value or moral obligation? Are there ethical facts? What sort of objectivity is possible in ethics? How can we have ethical knowledge? Recall, also, the fundamentalRead MoreVirtue Theory. 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For example, an atheist may have a different view on homelessness than a Christian. The atheist and Christian will take different actions, when con fronted, because of these worldviews. The study of whyRead MoreEthical Dilemmas Of Utilitarianism And Deontology1368 Words   |  6 PagesSponsler 11/4/15 Ethics Considering Ethical Dilemmas through Utilitarianism and Deontology Kant’s theory of deontology and Mill’s theory of utilitarianism provide starkly different approaches to assigning moral value to ethical dilemmas, two modern dilemmas being commercial surrogacy and physician-assisted suicide. This essay will expound upon the process of deciding moral value within each ethical theory and then apply this decision process to the two ethical dilemmas. Arguments will be posited