Animal Testing Debate
The conflict between the supporters and opponents of the idea that testing on animals can be morally permissible is not new, and using animals as research subjects in medicine is commonly discussed. On the one hand, some people believe that this decision violates the rights of animals and makes it hard to minimize suffering among sentient creatures (Cohen, 1). On the other hand, social “justice demands only that we treat equals equally, unequal treatment of humans and nonhumans cannot be an injustice” (Singer, 1). Considering these two strong perspectives, most researchers agree that animal testing remains unfinished, appealing to the “worst-off principle” (Regan, 24). It is correct to say that animal experiments to ensure human safety can be morally permissible under three conditions: animals and human rights are not the same, suffering is minimized, and human benefits are achieved.
Conditions for Moral Permissibility of Animal Testing
The analysis of public health and social justice reveals that it is essential to protect people’s health equally and treat all individuals with dignity and respect. When animals are used to find another cure or the most effective treatment method, some individuals believe that scientists and researchers neglect the humane factor in their activities. However, it is also crucial to understand that “to treat animals humans… is not to treat them as humans or the holders of rights” (Cohen, 3).
Philosophical Arguments Supporting Animal Testing
Animals cannot make moral claims, protect their rights, or contribute to the progress of their communities. Their rights are never the same as the rights of people, and such a statement proves that testing on animals is morally unacceptable. Besides, most people forget that they find it right to rear and kill animals for food, as long as it is done humanely, which means without suffering (Singer, 4). All these arguments, philosophical perspectives, and harm reduction theories help support testing on animals as one of the possible means to promote human safety and health benefits.