In the years since Dolly was born, society has fiercely debated the advantages and disadvantages of human reproductive cloning. Certain objections to cloning, and human clones, tend to crop up again and again. In Part 1 of this book, I critique these objections and explain how they reflect, reinforce, and inspire unfair stereotypes about human clones.

Chapter 1 presents the objection that cloning offends God and nature. Chapter 2 details the argument that cloning reduces humans to the level of manmade objects. Chapter 3 examines the objection that human clones lack individuality. Chapter 4 discusses arguments that human clones threaten the survival of humanity. Chapter 5 addresses what I call the safety objection. This includes not only the argument that the technology of cloning is unsafe for participants but also the argument that human clones inevitably must have serious birth defects.

In the analysis that follows, I emphasize four reports that have recommended a ban on human reproductive cloning. These reports are useful because they state the five objections clearly and concisely. Each of these reports, moreover, was designed to influence, and has influenced, public opinion and lawmakers. Thus, the reports set the stage for Part 2 of this book in which I document the influence that the five objections have had on public opinion and lawmakers.