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Throughout history and into the present time, the topic and practice of animal experimentation/testing has been highly debated. Many people are for experimenting on animals, as it benefits the lives of humans, while others argue that testing on animals should be gotten rid of, with alternatives put in place. In this essay, my aim is to lay out the argument made by Robert Taylor in his article, “Testing drugs on animals: a test case for socially responsible investment”, argues as to why animal testing is beneficial and why companies engaged in testing and why investors in these companies should not be at fault, while then following up with my own counter argument as a response. Consequently, my plan in this essay is to lay out Taylor’s paper, …show more content…
Taylor says that these advances are evidently dependent on animal testing but he does not lay out anything to back that up. What is so evident about the dependability on animal testing for medical advancements? Because in my opinion, it is evident to me that if we are able to make such strides in science and technology, including medical technology, then scientists should be able to come up with some way of replacing animals in experimentation. This view can also come in as a response to Taylor’s claim that scientific evidence suggests that the accusations brought from activists are not true, as one of these claims was that “tests are unnecessary because alternatives are available” (165). However, Taylor in no way provides any scientific evidence to support his claim. Going back then to my response that advancements in technology should be able to create some form of replacement for animal experimentation by now can be supported, as there have been reports of scientists growing organs in labs, and other such advancements. So because of this, it must be possible for scientists to come up with some sort of replacement. Taylor also starts listing off various animal protection acts, presumably as a way to backup the safety of the animals in animal testing and …show more content…
Sure, we may have a higher moral sense than animals, but that does not mean that animals are unable to experience the pain and discomfort felt when being tested upon. Also, if we are to claim that the experimentation on animals are justified due to the differences in mental capabilities, then what does one have to say about those who are mentally handicapped or brain dead? Do they not have differences in mental capabilities when compared to a healthy person? Thus, it can be argued that if animals can be tested on because we are mentally and emotionally superior to them, that would then it that it should be seen as alright to test on those who are disabled or brain dead, as they are at times mentally and emotionally inferior. But we would never think to experiment on a human, let alone a mentally disabled one, even though they could meet the so called justifications for experimentation on animals. While Taylor is able to backup his claims of human superiority here, it must be noted that his evidence for this were a philosopher and a religious belief. To me, these do not seem like credible sources, as even though philosophers are educated, they are not necessarily professionals in the workings of the human and animal minds and capabilities. Also, using a religious belief to prove the superiority of humans to animals is also not very effective, as a good amount
There is a moral blind spot in the treatment of animals that enable us to justify the cruelties for the perceived benefits of humans. Animals are living things. They have lungs which breathe, hearts which beat, and blood that flows. In fact, animals sense of smell, sight, and sound is much more acute than our own. Therefore, we can assume that their sensitivity to pain is at least equal to ours. According to Hippocrates, “The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different.” This can go with the Duty Theory that states that every individual gets treated the same. The intentions of animal testing is not to harm the animals, but that is exactly what it does.
This is important because understanding the way in which this happens, attitudes towards animal testing, are formed and how they spread will likely have an impact on public policy on animal welfare and animal rights activism. The information presented and the results will justify my view on animal testing and why it should be banned from scientific reasonings. (75 words)
When many people think of animal testing, the average person thinks about millions of dogs and cats being injected with dangerous chemicals and substances. However, this is usually not the case. 61% of animals that have been used for research suffered absolutely no pain. 31% have had their pain numbed by anesthesia. Only 6% of animals tested actually experienced pain. The misconception of millions of animals being tortured is extremely wrong. 6% is not very many animals that actually experience any type of pain. Also, the pain is usually helpful to show how the procedure would harm humans. The animals’ pain actually saves human beings pain. Animal Testers are seen as the “bad guys”, when less than one dog/cat is used for research and studies for every 50 destroyed by animal pounds across the country. Millions and millions of animals are euthanized when they cannot be taken care of in a shelter anymore. Another assumption made with animal testing is that it is mostly dogs and cats. However, less than 1.5% of testing is done on these species of animals. Humans share 95% of the genes with a mouse, which makes them a great model for the human body (Animal R...
One of these claims is that animal testing uses the three R’s in order to make testing more humane. These three R’s are reduction, refinement and replacement, meaning that scientists must attempt to reduce doses administered to test animals, refine experiments to make them more humane and try to replace animals altogether. If this method was always used, animal testing would be humane and ethical, but the three R’s are often neglected because the research results are viewed as being more important than the animals. Another claim that animal testing is ethical, is that animal testing has always been essential to medical breakthroughs. Although animals have served as important models for breakthroughs in drugs and medical procedures in the past, modern technology allows us to use more accurate models for testing such as cell structures. The final claim many people make is that animals are not able to feel pain anyway, so testing them does not matter. If an individual has ever observed a dog even step on a sticker and have it caught in their paw, they have seen an animal whimper and cry while hopping on three legs to try to stop the pain. It is a simple and minuscule pain, but animals feel it, so they will feel any pain involved in animal testing as well. Animals should be replaced in
The article provides specific examples of illnesses and diseases which have been cured by animal testing that both humans and animals have benefitted. This supports my topic of animal experiments being used for medical advancements. Pointing out that law often requires that products be tested before being sold to the public, George and Wagner additionally help prove my claim that product testing is a purpose of animal experimentation.
Manipulation of language can be a weapon of mind control and abuse of power. The story Animal Farm by George Orwell is all about manipulation, and the major way manipulation is used in this novel is by the use of words. The character in this book named Squealer employs ethos, pathos, and logos in order to manipulate the other animals and maintain control.
Animal testing is a controversial topic with two main sides of the argument. The side apposing animal testing states it is unethical and inhumane; that animals have a right to choose where and how they live instead of being subjected to experiments. The view is that all living organism have a right of freedom; it is a right, not a privilege. The side for animal testing thinks that it should continue, without animal testing there would be fewer medical and scientific breakthroughs. This side states that the outcome is worth the investment of testing on animals. The argument surrounding animal testing is older than the United States of America, dating back to the 1650’s when Edmund O’Meara stated that vivisection, the dissection of live animals, is an unnatural act. Although this is one of the first major oppositions to animal testing, animal testing was being practiced for millennia beforehand. There are two sides apposing each other in the argument of animal testing, and the argument is one of the oldest arguments still being debated today.
Hurting an animal is better than hurting a fellow human being right? Well imagine a child being ripped away from his mother in today’s society, for no reason. Would that be considered okay, or kidnapping? Imagine humans being forced to breed, just so their children can be tortured for makeup or a new facial wash. Would that be considered okay, or morally incorrect? People do not see animals as fellow living things, because they do not have the power to say no like a person can. They can’t stand up for themselves, leaving the people of the world to do it for them. Seeing that there are other ways to test out consumer products, why harm defenseless, breathing, loving, beings? With all things considered, animal testing “has no place in science today” (Goodall, 1).
Animal experimentation is both unnecessarily cruel and inaccurate proving that it is neither beneficial nor ethical to perform. Animals are living creatures just like people and yet are treated as though they are nothing but tools by the self-proclaimed advanced species of the Earth. Alternatives to animal testing have been developed and presented throughout the years but scientists are stubborn and stuck in their ways so they continue to experiment on innocent creatures. Testing on animals is a barbaric practice that should have been abolished long ago yet humans have continued to perform the tests for years.
Animal testing is the running of tests and the research done in a laboratory on animals. Some of the tests are done to benefit human lives and other tests are done to determine side effects of a certain household or cosmetic products. It is a topic that has been up for debate for many years not only in the United States, but all around the world. While some support the advances that come from the research others oppose the cruelty that the media projects to society. No matter what one’s opinion of the subject is, it is still something that our society and culture deals with.
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” This is a popular saying that explains that, sometimes, in order to persuade or convince people, one should not use force but words. In Animal Farm, by George Orwell, animals overthrow the human leader and start a new life, but some animals want to become the new leaders. To make the other animals obey the pigs, they first have to persuade the farm’s population. Squealer is the best pig for this job because he effectively convinces the animals to follow Napoleon by using different rhetorical devices and methods of persuasion.
Since experiments are cruel and expensive, “the world’s most forward-thinking scientists have moved on to develop and use methods for studying diseases and testing products that replace animals and are actually relevant to human health” (“Alternatives to Animals”). Companies claim that this sort of cruelty will benefit the human population by testing the “safety” of the products, as they have been for hundreds of years, and although this may have been helpful in the past, scientists have discovered otherwise. “While funding for animal experimentation and the number of animals tested on continues to increase, the United States still ranks 49th in the world in life expectancy and second worst in infant mortality in the developed world” (“Animal Testing Is”). This evidence shows that while we still continue to support and spend money on animal testing, it is not working as well as we thought.
He and many others see the testing as inevitable and say it must continue to help humans survive. “The elimination of horrible disease, the increase of longevity, the avoidance of great pain, the saving of lives, and the improvement of the quality of lives achieved through research using animals is so incalculably great. ”(Cohen 27-28). As in any debate though, there is always an opposing side, which seems to toss out their opinions and facts as frequently as the rest. So many in today’s world view animal research as morally wrong and believe animals do have rights.
Animal testing is one the most beyond cruelty against animals. It is estimated about 7 million innocent animals are electrocuted, blinded, scalded, force-fed chemicals, genetically manipulated, killed in the name of science. By private institutions, households products, cosmetics companies, government agencies, educational institutions and scientific centers. From the products we use every day, such as soap, make-up, furniture polish, cleaning products, and perfumes. Over 1 million dogs, cats, primates, sheep, hamsters and guinea pigs are used in labs each year. Of those, over 86,000 are dogs and cat. All companies are most likely to test on animals to make patients feel safe and are more likely to trust medicines if they know they have been tested on animals first (PETA, N.D, page 1). These tests are done only to protect companies from consumer lawsuits. Although it’s not quite true, Humans and animals don’t always react in the same way to drugs. In the UK an estimated 10,000 people are killed or severely disabled every year by unexpected reactions to drugs, all these drugs have passed animal tests. Animal testing is often unpredictable in how products will work on people. Some estimates say up to 92 percent of tests passed on animals failed when tried on humans (Procon.org, 2014, page 1). Animal testing can’t show all the potential uses for a drug. The test results are...
...ines to stop dangerous diseases (Paul). Animal research has played a vital role in medical science for the last century. Animal testing has been very essential to medical research and have led to discovering new tools to help individuals. Because of animal testing we have discovered new medicines and procedures to benefit people such as, antibiotics, blood transfusions, organ-transplantations, and vaccinations. Animal organizations and activist has little knowledge on medical research, so they don’t know how this research benefits us. Animal testing has proven to be a very important part in medical studies and it will continue to be for generations to generations. Animal testing will never end but evolve and lead us to further medical understanding. Without animal testing we would be expose to chemical, Air-Bourne, and contagious diseases this world will hand to us.