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lecture 29/9/23 animal experimentation - Coggle Diagram
lecture 29/9/23 animal experimentation
Animal Expermentation and Non-absolutism
singer = non absolutist
although the current way of experimenting on animals is morally wrong, in some cases its morally right
tom regan 1938-2017
american philosopher in aminal rights
wrote the case for animal rights
Tom Regan and the Benefits Arguments
vivisection
shorthand for the use of non human animals in harmful non therapeutic medical research
the benefits argument "there is only one serious moral defence of vivisection"
humans are better off because of vivisection
animal experimentation is helping humanity evolve
the benefits of the current practive of animal experimentation outweigh the costs
if the benefits outweigh the costs = morally permissible
therefore its morally permisibe
issues w benefit argument
benefits are overstated = public health scholars show that animal experimentation has made only a modest improvement to health
human harms are underestimated
human harms are underestimated
e.g. animal tests on animals showed thalmiamide was safe but on humans it caused severe birth defects
negative effects of prescription drugs, example of cigarette smoking
benefits across species is hard to justify
even if benefits to humans outweigh the costs to animals = still fails to justify the practice
Saul Krugman + kids of Willowbrook
head of a statan island hospital for severly intelectually disabled kids
meant to have a max of 4,000 kids, in his time there was 6,000
children were living in awful conditions, hepatitis was rampant in the hospital
he was working on a vaccine for hepatitus so he used the children to experiment on
fed some children live hepatitis strains to deliberatly infect them
cruel but highly successful medical
Regan's argument against Animal experimentation
all subjects to life possess the right to life and bodily intergrity
animals are the subjects of a life
therefore animals possess the right to bodily integrity
animal experimentation violates the right to life and bodily integrity
any act that violates the right to life and bodily integrity is morally wrong
therefore animal experimentation is morally wrong
Regan and Rights
he isn't utilitarian
any action that violates these indelible rights is morally wrong regardless of consquences
believes that all those who are subjects of life have moral status + have inedible right to life and bodily integrity