ABSTRACT
While engaging in philosophical discussions about genetic manipulation was once mere speculation, the past decade has shown that societies are not always prepared for new technologies by the time they are in use. Genetic modification is no exception. The moratorium on the cloning of human beings, set in numerous countries including the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the European Union, seems indicative of this, though everybody does not share the sentiment. Numerous ethicists have recognised that there are not very many good arguments for banning human cloning, if such technology is safe to use. For example, Lady Mary Warnock, accomplished British philosopher and famed for her work in human fertility, considers that UK legislation in relation to cloning has been rushed through (cited in Connor, 2002). In part, she claims, this was due to threats from rebel scientists, such as the Raelians, Severino Antinori and Richard Seed, who spread moral panic when they claimed to be in the process of cloning humans. Thus cloning is one such example where the promise is often understood as peril, since it gives rise to great uncertainty and speculation about the future of humanity.
