Human cloning and Immanuel Kant
Ruben Guizar
Philosophy
Over the last decade, the advent of cloning and
advancements in human genetic research have presented
society with a complicated moral quandary. Debate rages as
to what constitutes legitimate paths of inquiry and where
to draw the line as to research that strikes many people as
morally wrong. The basic question is: "how does society
determine what 's right?" While, of course, questions
regarding human genetic research are new, this basic
question is as hold as civilization and has been addressed
over and over again by history 's great philosophers. One of
the most notable philosophers of the modern era is Immanuel
Kant, who was born in Prussia in 1724. Kant paid a great
deal of attention to formulating a complex system of
morality. The following examines Kantian morals and
how they might be applied to questions of human genetic
research.
Kant 's moral theory is predicated on the idea of the
"categorical imperative," which Kant described in the
following manner, "Act only on that maxim which you can at
the same time will to be a universal law"(Honderich, 1995,
p. 436). By the term "maxim," Kant meant general rules or
principles upon which rational individuals act, and that
these principles reflect the end that an individual has in
mind in choosing actions of a certain type in given
circumstances (Honderich, 1995). Therefore, maxims are
principles in the following form: "When in an S-type
situation, act in an A-type manner in order to attain end-
E" (Honderich, 1995, p. 436). For example, a person might
resolve to pay a bill as soon as it is received in order to
not incur any debt. Kant tested a maxim by performing a
thought experiment in which the individual asks oneself
whether or not one would will a certain maxim to become
universal law. As this suggests, moral law, in the
philosophy of Kant, is inherent in reason itself. It is a
priori, before experience (Frost, 1962). In every
circumstance, Kant
Philosophy
Over the last decade, the advent of cloning and
advancements in human genetic research have presented
society with a complicated moral quandary. Debate rages as
to what constitutes legitimate paths of inquiry and where
to draw the line as to research that strikes many people as
morally wrong. The basic question is: "how does society
determine what 's right?" While, of course, questions
regarding human genetic research are new, this basic
question is as hold as civilization and has been addressed
over and over again by history 's great philosophers. One of
the most notable philosophers of the modern era is Immanuel
Kant, who was born in Prussia in 1724. Kant paid a great
deal of attention to formulating a complex system of
morality. The following examines Kantian morals and
how they might be applied to questions of human genetic
research.
Kant 's moral theory is predicated on the idea of the
"categorical imperative," which Kant described in the
following manner, "Act only on that maxim which you can at
the same time will to be a universal law"(Honderich, 1995,
p. 436). By the term "maxim," Kant meant general rules or
principles upon which rational individuals act, and that
these principles reflect the end that an individual has in
mind in choosing actions of a certain type in given
circumstances (Honderich, 1995). Therefore, maxims are
principles in the following form: "When in an S-type
situation, act in an A-type manner in order to attain end-
E" (Honderich, 1995, p. 436). For example, a person might
resolve to pay a bill as soon as it is received in order to
not incur any debt. Kant tested a maxim by performing a
thought experiment in which the individual asks oneself
whether or not one would will a certain maxim to become
universal law. As this suggests, moral law, in the
philosophy of Kant, is inherent in reason itself. It is a
priori, before experience (Frost, 1962). In every
circumstance, Kant