Who's
Afraid of Human Cloning?
by Gregory E. Pence
Reviews
From Booklist, January 1, 1998
Occasionally, a new book evokes a sigh of
relief. Pence, a medical ethicist and professor of philosophy, wants to
know how a consensus on human cloning can be said to have been reached
when only one side of the argument about it has appeared. That one side
is the one represented by such ethicists as Kass, Caplan, and Meilaender
and the recent report of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, all
of which have thrown up their hands in horror at the mere thought of human
cloning. Pence points out that many of the arguments against human cloning
were used earlier against in vitro fertilization. The horrified ethicists
are, Pence emphasizes, genetic fatalists who cannot entertain new ideas
and scientific progress, and science fiction and misunderstandings of what
cloning does have helped overwhelm logical discussion. And why, he asks,
have women - presumably an interested group - been left out of the argument?
The regulation of human asexual reproduction, he proposes, should be similar
to the regulation of gene therapy. William Beatty Copyright© 1998,
American Library Association. All rights reserved
Customer Comments
A reader from Wisconsin,U.S.A.,
October 1, 1999
I'm disappointed and annoyed.
I was hoping to use this book as one of
several references for a college report. I need representatives of the
many views held on this issue. Although the scientific explanations in
the beginning are clear and helpful, the opinions expressed in the latter
part of the book are not useful, as the author indulges in sarcastic asides,
illogical juxtapositioning and even a snide nickname or two rather than
the dispassionate reasoning I am seeking. The author's dislikes are far
too evident. At least he IS evenhanded in criticizing conservatives, religions,
branches of government, congressmen, public figures, and the common man
alike. Amusing, even clever perhaps, but not scholarly enough despite the
format.
A reader from South Bend,
Indiana, December 1, 1998
This book does not deserve as much credit
as it is given.
Gregory Pence is an excellent writer. I
do not agree with what he has to stay, but he states his position pretty
well, although he is somewhat inconsistent in his arguments. He also mocks
the Catholic Church and is too egotistical in his own views. He does not
understand why the majority of the world is anti-cloning - thinking that
we all just fear it for illogical reasons. He doesn't consider that maybe
we all oppose it because it is immoral and against what most of our religions
stand for!
A reader from NJ, November
16, 1998
Excellent view of cloning and effects.
I loved it.
Harith Al-Shakarchi (harith_alshakar@hotmail.com)
from Vienna, Austria, July 15, 1998
Excellent book! Helped me with my extended
essay!
Was I happy to get my hands on this book.
Stanford's Green Library had it, and I needed to research on cloning for
my extended essay (4000W). This book gives me everything I need to know,
and I would like to thank Mr. Pence for such a good read and research 'mine'.
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