The question of animal research and whether it should be legally practiced has left the human race with completely contrasting opinions on what the right choice is. It is an issue that has been argued extensively and yet no consensus has been reached. This is a topic which, for some, seems to divide morality from science, pitting them against each other in a controversial debate. Often, in an attempt to help break down the issue and come to a conclusion, the question has been simplified into which you value more: continued scientific discoveries or ethics and protection of animals. However, when discussing what the state’s policy should be on animal research, I believe, that all aspects of the issue should be taken into consideration. This …show more content…
“Speculation about whether or not acceptable standards in basic and applies research could have been achieved in the past by means other than the use of animals is less important than the question of assessing the consequences of continuing or abandoning animal experimentation now”. However, it is important to note that for every scientific discovery made using animal research, there are significantly more failed or ultimately, useless experiments. Considering the amount of scientific progression yearly stemming from animal research, in comparison to the 50-100 million animals used annually it is not clear that the ends justify the means, something many animal researchers will argue. “When a scientist begins her research, she cannot be certain what the benefits of her research will be or even if there will be any benefits;whereas she knows for sure that she will inflict suffering on some …show more content…
It’s been simplified into which you value more: continued scientific discoveries or ethics and protection of animals. However, the right answer incorporates both. Despite important scientific advancements, prominent historical use and potential for future discovery, the benefits animal research bring aren’t enough to justify it’s continuation. As previously stated, the state’s policy on animal research should be that it is only permissible if there is no other alternative and it does not cause any pain or result in the death of the animal. The suffering and treatment of innocent animals is inexcusable. Although past scientific discoveries have stemmed from animal research, this statistic is overpowered by the significantly larger number of animals captured, tortured and often killed for naught. The economic value in implementing alternative methods of research will eliminate millions of wasted and failed test subjects. New alternative methods provide scientists with the potential to discover life-changing information, that without the increased funding this policy will provide, they would not have been able to. While ending all animal research immediately is difficult, pulling the funding from it and placing it into more sophisticated methods of research will slow down the amount of animals used annually for research. It is senseless to use the same research
Without animal research, cures for such diseases as typhoid, diphtheria, and polio might never have existed. Without animal research, the development of antibiotics and insulin would have been delayed. Without animal research, many human beings would now be dead. However, because of animal testing, 200,000 dogs, 50,000 cats, 60,000 primates, 1.5 million hamsters, and uncounted millions of rats and mice are experimented upon and die each year, as living fodder for the great human scientific machine. Some would say that animal research is an integral part of progress; unfortunately, this is often true. On the whole, animal testing is a necessary evil that should be reduced and eliminated whenever possible.
The information that animals have provided scientists over the past decades has changed society, and is still changing society for the better. Millions of lives have been saved with the use of animal testing and many more will be saved with continued research. However, there are many who dismiss this monumental achievement completely and oppose the use of animals in laboratory research. Though many find this practice to be
Lastly, there is refinement where researchers need to filter their animal use for their experiments. Another point of agreement is the Animal Welfare Act. The Animal Welfare Act puts restrictions on experimenting, transporting, and researching on animals. “The intent of congress in passing this act... ... middle of paper ... ...
Overall, as in the past, the argument towards animal experimentation remains unresolved. Animal right protesters continue to fight for the rights of animals, while, scientists continue to justify their actions for the purpose of saving lives.
Animals are used as a part of experimentations in order to accomplish new openings. A few individuals think that it is satisfactory, while others contend that it is not moral to sacrifice animals for science. Estimated, that fifty to one hundred million of animals are used for tests in the world. Despite the significance of experiments, the quantity of animals and purpose of research are not under any control. Animals testing should be banned under a few circumstances; we can enhance the situation by using alternative ways such as replacement, reduction, and refinement according to International Society for Applied Ethology.
To quote Jeremy Bentham in his book An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, in regard to the consciousness of animals, "The question is not, 'Can they reason? ' nor, 'Can they talk? ' but rather, 'Can they suffer? '. It is far too common for us as humans – the top of the food chain - to forget that we are not the only beings on the planet capable of thought. It is very simple to lump together all the creatures deemed as unintelligent or insentient together and basically de-animalize them – stripping them of their own evolutionary accomplishments and cognitive or mental development. With no empathy or deeper understanding of these beasts, we are free of any moral weights on our consciousness that may come from forcing them to live in humiliating and revolting conditions and are fed a chemical concoction of hormones and chemicals. This unfair and unjust treatment of animals has touched the hearts of many individuals across the globe, influencing them to take up a new diet that with it brings about a new lifestyle. Vegetarianism (or veganism, for those who are serious about
When someone goes to the store and buys a product, or is prescribed medication, they don’t have to worry if the product is safe to use nor should they. The entire human race benefits from animal research. “Without animal research, medical science would come to a total standstill”(O’Neil 210). It is not as if Scientist and researchers just sit in their labs all day and torture animals for fun. Not to mention animal use is being reduced as much as possible, “most scientist are glad to use alternative test because they are usually faster and cheaper than test on animals”(Yount 72). However, “you cannot study kidney transplantation or diarrhea or high bloodpressure on a computer screen”(O’Neil 212). Besides, “Animal research has led to vaccines against diptheria, rabies, tuberculosis, polio, measles, mumps, cholera, whooping cough, and rubella. It has meant eradication of smallpox, effective treatment for diabetes and control of infection with powerful antibiotics. The cardiac pacemaker, microsurgery to reattach severed limbs, and heart, kidney, lung, liver and other transplants are all possible because of animal research”(O’Neil 210).
Over 100 million animals are used in experiments; 95% of these animals end up dying. Animals are killed and mutilated for the sake of science. Some experiments can involve “blinding, severing of limbs, damaging brain, and ingesting various drugs.” (Coster,
Laboratory experiments on animal Jack stumbled upon an article, about how animals are being abused, tortured and killed for the things we commonly use in our household. Written on the article is how a female dog, named Libby have gone through in the hands of researches, it says there that pharmaceutical companies have paid the laboratory to infect animals with worms, fleas, and ticks and smear toxin in their skin to test animal companion products, Imagine how animals are being treated in the confines of that laboratory? How they felt? The use of animals is unethical, and today many people are opposed to the idea of animals being subjected to such harshness and think that Laboratory experiments on dogs, cats, and primates should be banned because it’s replaceable, it’s wasteful and it’s bad science. Millions of animals a year are subjected to being imprisoned and have been used for scientific research, sometimes they are used for the things we use like our shampoo’s, food, make up along with other things, with the growing
The use of animals for research and experimentation is a very controversial issue. There are many benefits to animal testing but in the opinion of some there are negative outcomes from the use of animals. This topic has been debated for quite some time and continues to be a topic of discussion not only in the medical community but also for animal activists. In this paper, we will outline the advantages of animal testing. The use of animals for research and experimentation is critical for the advancement of modern medicine towards treating disease, developing vaccines and improving survival rates.
The deployment of animals for medical research has brought heated debates from both the proponents and opponents each holding to their views in a tight manner. Those who are in support of animal research argue that it has been constituting a vital element in the advancement of medical sciences throughout the world providing insights to various diseases, which have helped in the discovery and development of various medicines that have brought an improvement in the qualify of living of people. Such discoveries have gone so deep that but for them many would have died a premature death because no cure would have been found for the diseases that they were otherwise suffering. On the other hand, animal lovers and animal right extremists hold to the view that animal experimentation is not only necessary but also Cruel. Human kind is subjecting them to such cruelties because they are helpless and even assuming such experiments do bring in benefits, the inhuman treatment meted out to them is simply not worth such benefits. They would like measures, including enactment of legislations to put an end to using animals by the name of research. This paper takes the view there are merits in either of the arguments and takes the stand a balanced approach needs to be taken on the issue so that both the medical science does not suffer, and the animal lovers are pacified, even if not totally satisfied. The rest of the paper is organized as follows: The next section discusses both the sides by taking account the view of scholars and practitioners and the subsequent section concludes the paper by drawing vital points from the previous section to justify the stand taken in this paper....
Supporters of animal research believe that animal experimentation and research is ethically acceptable as long as the treatment of the animals is humane and well-regulated. Some of the reasons why people support animal research includes the furthering of human well-being, providing the means to cure disease and advance medicine and science, the belief that it is a better alternative to using humans in research, and the belief that its benefits outweigh the costs (Saucier, 2006).
There is always a special relationship between humans and animals, and some people will consider and treat their home animals as a part of their family members. In the recent decade, the animal experimentation plays a very significant role for biomedical research. Those animal experimentation allows scientists to do medical research on animals to develop new drugs for saving human life and preventing human suffering from diseases, and it also helps to ensure the safety of the drugs. Since some animal’s biological systems have a remarkable similarity with humans, it is tough to find an effective replacement for animal research. Although most of animal researches bring humans benefit, some people argue that animal research is torturing animals and violating animal rights and it should be banned. In fact, most of the alternative cannot provide accurate and correct information for the scientists, so animals should be allow use in scientific research.