Cloning Ethics, Science, and Society Through the Film Womb

Introduction to Cloning and Its Controversies

The topic explored in this paper is cloning, examined through the lens of the 2010 film Womb. Cloning is a popular scientific subject of interest for numerous reasons. There are significant implications for the technology behind this phenomenon, which has existed for several years. The breadth of those implications spans ethical concerns, religious objections, pragmatic necessities, and societal issues. Considering these factors, the topic remains relevant today primarily because cloning represents the most successful efforts, to date, to displace the reproductive process from the human body into the realm of science. Typically, reproduction belongs to the realm of nature and biology — the latter of which is essentially the science of the inner workings of organisms. Cloning is controversial and stands at the forefront of these domains because it represents a man-made, scientific method of reproduction that operates outside the realms of nature and physical bodies.

The religious ramifications of cloning are significant in arguments against this scientific application. Specifically, many people view the creation of life as a God-given right, and they believe that cloning inherently impinges upon that right because the reproductive process can now take place in laboratories. Part of this religious argument also hinges on spirituality. Many religious adherents subscribe to the notion that people are imbued with a soul — one that is either a reflection of or a small part of the divine essence that created the universe. If people were ever produced via cloning, some would argue that this practice contradicts nature and God's will, not only by tampering with the natural process of procreation but also by interfering with the perceived divine aspect of humanity.

There are also numerous ethical issues surrounding cloning that keep it a relevant topic today. Many of the aforementioned religious arguments apply to ethical considerations as well, such as whether it is ethical for mankind to attempt to "play God" by removing the reproductive process from the woman (Fiester, 2005, pp. 329–330). Proponents argue that cloning could reduce complications associated with childbirth, including the death or suffering of mother or child. Additionally, cloned individuals could theoretically be used to fill undesirable labor positions and benefit society in this manner. The opposing view holds that it is ethically wrong to create people for specific undesirable tasks, and that the ability to clone humans could lead to dangerous power struggles.

Scientific Realities and Portrayal in the Media

Cloning is a very real phenomenon, and one that is portrayed in Womb. The topic was initially introduced to the broader public as a scientific reality through media coverage of Dolly the sheep, one of the first well-documented successes in this field (Pimple, 1998, p. 727). The concept of cloning is also linked to other scientific undertakings. For instance, the genetic modification of food — popularly referred to as "Frankenfood" (Rauch, 2003) — shares a conceptual kinship with cloning, though in that case researchers create different strains or types of food through a related scientific process. Stem cell research is similarly connected to cloning, as it opens the potential for determining specific characteristics of offspring and genetically reducing the likelihood of certain illnesses and conditions.

The aspects of cloning portrayed in Womb both adhere to and deviate from the established science. One of the most realistic elements in the film is the park populated with cloned animals. As noted above, the public actualization of cloning was largely introduced through the cloning of a sheep. While cloned animals are not typically displayed to the public in themed parks, their existence is undeniable. In fact, some of the most prominent real-world applications of cloning pertain to the animal kingdom.

Facets of stem cell research and its impact on reproduction are also demonstrated in the film. This portion of the science depicted is plausible, although there are no confirmed public examples yet. The female protagonist obtains cellular information from her deceased lover in an attempt to produce a clone of him. The use of this cellular data to recreate a likeness of the deceased adheres to contemporary understanding of stem cell research, which is closely linked to cloning. In the film, the protagonist uses the DNA of her deceased lover to become impregnated (Womb, 2010). Strictly speaking, this process is not cloning; however, it produces a similar narrative result when the protagonist gives birth to a son strikingly similar to her dead lover. Scientifically, artificial insemination has been practiced for many years, making this facet of the film factually grounded. Nonetheless, some aspects of the film remain fictional — for example, the detail that other children can detect a distinct smell associated with cloned humans (Womb, 2010). As of yet, there is no scientific evidence to support the idea that cloned humans would have any such distinguishing odor.

Conclusion

In summary, there are many different aspects of the cloning process that are germane to contemporary society. The most profound implication of this scientific undertaking is that it can potentially give mankind reproductive power in an artificial way that does not involve women. Instead of a child growing in the womb for nine months, scientists can clone any variety of things — including people — in their laboratories. Because of these far-reaching and life-altering repercussions, cloning affects many different spheres of society. The religious and spiritual implications are that mankind is attempting to play God and usurp the divine power of procreation. Moreover, cloning undermines the natural order of life and the way life is created, which is why certain religious and spiritual arguments against it are often synthesized with ethical ones. The film Womb addresses some of these concerns. Not everyone in the film believes it is right for the female protagonist to reproduce her husband through the combination of stem cell research and cloning; those who oppose her do so on religious and ethical grounds.

Scientific developments related to cloning — including stem cell research and various facets of genomics — are portrayed in the film as well. The combination of these three branches of science could considerably impact society in myriad ways. Together, they allow people to determine specific characteristics of their offspring in ways that were not previously possible. From a pragmatic standpoint, they can assist in meeting basic human needs, such as feeding an ever-growing population by producing sufficient livestock. However, they also raise serious questions about the erosion of natural life and humanity's tendency to exert control over life in ways that may grant too much power to too few. Ethically, for example, it may not be acceptable to clone entire categories of people to perform menial tasks, fight in wars, or engage in other undesirable activities, as such a practice would be fundamentally limiting and unjust to those who have been cloned.

The future of cloning remains uncertain. However, the nature of technology is that once it is unleashed, it is extremely difficult to contain. The central question cloning raises is whether mankind has the right to remove the reproductive process from women and place it in the hands of scientists. One must wonder whether people are truly responsible enough to use this technology wisely. In the film, cloning leads to incest and social bigotry. In real life, the repercussions could be even more intense and even more contrary to the natural order of life.

References

Fiester, A. (2005). Ethical issues in animal cloning. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 48(2), 328–343.

Pimple, K. (1998). The ethics of human cloning and the fate of science in a democratic society. Valparaiso University Law Review, 32(2), 727–737.

Rauch, J. (2003). Will Frankenfood save the planet? The Atlantic.

Womb. (2010). Dir: B. Fliegauf. Perf: Green, E., Smith, M., Manville, L.