Speeches and Arguments about Cloning

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the debate concerning the contemporary question of cloning, starting with the paradox of its existence, which is scientifically still dubious, and of the ambivalence of its meaning. The article proposes an analysis of different arguments, aiming to define and then to consider the various techniques called “cloning.” To effectively explain each point of view, the concept of argumentation as proposed by Chaim Perelman is used. This concept entails substituting the “reasonable” for the “rational.” The arguments in the cloning debate can be separated into three categories: reproductive versus non-reproductive, duplication versus modification, and reproductive versus therapeutic. Two examples of rational qualification of cloning, scientific and legal, are shown as a critical theme. Lastly, the paper proposes a summary analysis on the debate of whether cloning is “desirable” or not.