动物实验 英语辩论

Animal Experimentation

Summary:

Is

it

morally

acceptable

to

experiment

on

non-human

animals

to

develop

products and medicines that benefit human beings?

For many centuries people have experimented on animals. There are two main reasons

for doing this: first, to find out more about the animals themselves, and, secondly, to test

substances and procedures to see if they are harmful (with a view to deciding whether or

not they can be used on human beings). In the second category fall cosmetic products as

well as medicines and surgical techniques. There is a growing consensus that it is not

acceptable to test cosmetic products on animals. This debate is about whether we should

experiment on animals for scientific and medical purposes. The debate about the pros

and

cons

of

animal

experimentation

(or

'vivisection')

is

one

that

elicits

very

strong

emotions: animal rights activists have resorted to trespass, violence, death threats, and

hunger

strikes

in

their

single-minded

(and

sometimes

illegal)

mission

to

end

this

practice.

Pros

Cons

Experiments

on

animals

should

be

considered

on

a

case-by-case

basis.

The

Animals

have

the

right

to

be

treated

as

proper

principle

to

apply,

however,

is

that

beings

of

value

in

themselves,

not

as

the

the reduction of human suffering is our first

means

to

human

ends;

this

principle

must

priority

and

the

prevention

of

animal

be applies in order to guarantee the end of

suffering

or

death

is

secondary

to

that

cruelty

to

animals.

The

application

of

this

(although still important). So that if there is

principle

means

that

animals

should

never

a

decent

chance

that

an

experiment

will

be

experimented

upon

whatever

the

result in an important medical breakthrough

potential

gain

for

humanity.

To

infect

that will reduce human suffering and death

monkeys with the AIDS virus or to expose

then

it

is

justifiable

to

allow

animal

rodents

to

toxic

chemicals

and

radiation

is

suffering.

Animal

experimentation

is

the

simply

not

acceptable,

whatever

the

(sometimes

distasteful)

means

to

much

supposed benefits.

greater ends.

Although

in

principle

it

is

more

important

to

reduce

human

suffering

that

to

prevent

In practice, as everyone knows, animals are

animal

suffering,

in

practice

it

is

possible

not

routinely

treated

well

by

animal

(and

absolutely

right)

to

keep

animal

experimenters.

Apart

from

the

fact

that

suffering to

an absolute

minimum.

Animal

millions

of

animals

die

each

year

in

experimenters

should

aspire

to

the

highest

experiments,

others

are

often

not

levels

of

animal

welfare

in

their

adequately anaesthetised and are abused by

laboratories,

using

anaesthetics

wherever

handlers

and

experimenters.

It

is

idealistic

possible

and

keeping

animals

in

clean,

to suppose that this will ever stop as long as

comfortable,

and

healthy

conditions.

In

society endorses vivisection.

short,

it

is

possible

to

experiment

on