Up The Long Ladder... Cloning?

[Ferengi Prime 5]

A random look through the thread about the most disliked episode of TNG: "Up the Long Ladder" seems to be the most disliked, but it raises a question about cloning. In the Star Trek universe, I can not believe cloning is not a common practice throughout the Federation and other space-faring societies. I know ego, vanity, greed, and inheritance would make cloning a common practice in the Star Trek universe.

 

[Uncle Sock]

Ego, vanity, and greed are supposed to be eliminated in the Federation—at least among humans. And since humans had such a major influence on the Federation, I’d assume that expectation applies to the other member species as well.

Cloning might also be considered too close to genetic engineering, which is banned in the Federation. That could explain why Riker and Pulaski seemed so appalled by the idea of cloning.

With non-Federation cultures, like the Bajorans, things appear to be a bit different.