Alicia Joy’s Reviews > The Ethics of Animal Research: Exploring the Controversy > Status Update

Ch. 16 The author applies a feminism tactic for evaluating morality in our modern society which recognizes that though moral logic may lead to a particular conclusion, this conclusion may not be applicable on the real world. Notes the vulnerability of animals in the nonnatural relationship with researchers and our obligation to meet these needs and not terminate the relationship when it is convenient.

Ch. 15 Discusses how many drugs cause harm to humans because animals are not sufficient. How the process of the FDA is corrupted by those who benefit from the profits of pharmaceutical companies. Many drugs adverse effects are not reported. Long discussion of the arguments that animal rights' activists can make if they decide to take prescription medications. Yawn.

Ch. 14 Too much technical discussion involving technicalities of arguments. Snore.

Ch. 13 Points out that experimentation that causes harm for no good reason is pretty well accepted. He then goes on to argue that animal experimentation is for no good reason because so many drugs tested on animals are toxic in humans, and probably many drugs toxic in animals would be safe for humans, thus preventing life-saving drugs from getting to the shelf. Micro-dosing and in vitro cultures as alternatives.

Ch. 11 Introduces the casuistical argument that suggests that we look at each experiment individually rather than trying to apply a blanket morality to our uses of animals in research. He goes through an innocuous project and then a more costly project and explains how intuition about the balance between the treatment of the animals and the benefit (or detriment) of humans.

Ch. 10 Many argue that we should not use animals in research because animals have different physiology, and can lead to misleading results. However, transgenic animal models provide an opportunity to develop better animal models. This technique comes with it's own ethical questions though like whether genetic insertion or deletion causes distress for the animal and protecting transgenic animal model patents.

Ch. 9 Explores the contractarian argument - rational actors can enter into an agreement. Author is very philosophical in his writing so I skipped a good chunk of it. Bottom line is he doesn't Believe Kantian contractarianism would support animal research because it eliminates autonomy and therefore dignity of animals while also incurring risks for ourselves.

Ch. 8 Author explores virtue theory instead of utilitarianism, pointing out that life is so complex there is no way it can be dwindled down to a common denominator, added and subtracted. Suggests that the art of empathy is lost in science. Recognizing the importance of human and animal emotions in science.

Ch. 7 Author against animal research claiming that animals have a right to life jsut as we do because they have a nervous system and some form of subjective experience. There is no excuse for not ascribing moral status to animals like we do with humans.

Ch. 6 Breaking down the utilitarian argument. Argues that benefits are not enough to justify the harms. Hard to determine harms without knowing what animals experience. IACUC doesn't agree on what is necessary and moral.