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Human Cloning

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Handbook of Global Bioethics

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Abstract

This chapter covers the technical, philosophical, and juridical aspects of international governance of human reproductive cloning. Human reproductive cloning is the creation of a human embryo from a nuclear DNA sequence of an existing human being (or from one having existed earlier) in order to implant it into a womb, leading eventually to the birth of an identical human being. The methods available for cloning are developing quickly, and first the principal technical approaches to this issue are described. Then the main arguments used in the ethical discussions over human cloning are presented, both supporting and opposing it. In the last part, the attempts made at an international level, both in United Nations and the UNESCO, to achieve the ban of human reproductive cloning in all UN Member States are described. Although many people, organizations, and countries recognize the need for such a ban, especially because of rapid scientific developments and vulnerability of some countries, it has not been achieved yet.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23b-135, Tartu, 51010, Estonia

    Prof. Toivo Maimets

  2. Centre for Ethics, University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, Tartu, Estonia

    Kristi Lõuk

Authors
  1. Prof. Toivo Maimets
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  2. Kristi Lõuk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Toivo Maimets .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pittsburgh, USA

    Henk A.M.J. ten Have

  2. Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland

    Bert Gordijn

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© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Maimets, T., Lõuk, K. (2014). Human Cloning. In: ten Have, H., Gordijn, B. (eds) Handbook of Global Bioethics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2512-6_130

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2512-6_130

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-2511-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-2512-6

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