Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
I'm glad to see the qualification of "this kind", albeit a little out of place since we have very little idea of what "this kind" actually is, within this story. Cloning is a much more complicated, and at times subtle, question than some comments here would seem to envisage. I expect cloning will continue play a part in ethics debates for a long time to come.
The fact that the book does involve cloning in its plot will obviously raise some thoughts regarding the subject, but I think it's important to realise that vague concept presented in the book is far too nebulous a base from which to discuss the technicalities and ethics of cloning in our world (as opposed to the fait accompli presented in the alternative world in Never Let Me Go).
|
I think the "this kind" can be taken as "cloning living, growing, thinking humans for the express purposes of taking their organs until they are unable to live". I think the ethics are very straightforward and long-since decided for that.
I don't think anyone is going to try to debate the technicalities of
how the cloning happens but the ethics of doing the cloning, in the methods and for the purposes shown in the book, is fair game and there certainly is enough to talk about in regards to our world.
Since the novel is presented as in
almost our world with a different technological path "after the war", the great big hole of "what could have changed so radically that people will accept this practice" is relevant. I can't think of anything where society would change this much and be accepting of this practice.