The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
T h e e t h i c s o f r e s e a r c h i n v o l v i n g a n i m a l s<br />
Two questi<strong>on</strong>s are especially important in the c<strong>on</strong>text <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> hybrid views: first, what are the absolute<br />
c<strong>on</strong>straints; and sec<strong>on</strong>dly, how are different morally relevant factors weighed within the<br />
permitted area? To answer these questi<strong>on</strong>s, we will always need to c<strong>on</strong>sider at least five questi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
(paragraph 14.3):<br />
i) what are the goals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>?<br />
ii)<br />
what is the probability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> success?<br />
iii) which <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> are to be used?<br />
iv) what effect will there be <strong>on</strong> the <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> used in the experiment?<br />
v) are there any alternatives?<br />
Assessing pain, suffering and distress<br />
Since the nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> any pain, suffering or distress that an animal might experience in scientific<br />
uses is crucial to assessing the ethical implicati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>involving</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>, we focus in<br />
Chapter 4 <strong>on</strong> the capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> to experience such states, and <strong>on</strong> philosophical and practical<br />
problems in making such assessments.<br />
We c<strong>on</strong>clude that although philosophically it is extremely difficult to determine exactly the<br />
subjective experiences <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>, practically it is <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten straightforward to make meaningful<br />
approximati<strong>on</strong>s. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> clinical signs, the study <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal choices, familiarity with<br />
ethological and ecological data, and c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> physiological and neurological features are<br />
all important (paragraphs 4.18–4.28). In the spirit <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> critical anthropomorphism therefore,<br />
c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> scientific evidence, especially in relati<strong>on</strong> to species-specific needs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>, can<br />
be combined fruitfully with familiarity, empathy and methodological observati<strong>on</strong> (paragraph 4.7<br />
and 4.29–4.30). N<strong>on</strong>etheless, care needs to be taken to avoid unwarranted anthropomorphism in<br />
applying terms such as pain, suffering and distress, which we use successfully in human–human<br />
interacti<strong>on</strong>s, to <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> (paragraph 4.60).<br />
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS<br />
In practice, the welfare implicati<strong>on</strong>s for <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> involved in <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> and testing vary greatly.<br />
Whether or not <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> experience pain suffering and distress, either as a result <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> experimental<br />
procedures or in the wider c<strong>on</strong>text through breeding, transport or housing, depends <strong>on</strong> a number<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> factors. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>se include the nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the experiment and the likely adverse effects that it may<br />
entail, standards <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> handling and husbandry, and the skills and motivati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> those handling the<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> to implement Refinements, such as in the use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> pain relieving medicines or the provisi<strong>on</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> enrichments. While it is therefore impossible to generalise about the way <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> are affected<br />
by <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>, we make some observati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> the kind <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> factors that influence animal welfare in<br />
paragraphs 4.31–4.59. This informati<strong>on</strong> needs to be c<strong>on</strong>sidered in relati<strong>on</strong> to the specific uses <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in different types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>, which are described in Chapters 5–9.<br />
Moral agency and the role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> regulati<strong>on</strong><br />
We explore the questi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> what it means to be a moral agent. This c<strong>on</strong>cept is important in<br />
deciding what it is to be a morally resp<strong>on</strong>sible scientist or animal technician, and also what the<br />
role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> regulati<strong>on</strong> should be in generating an appropriate envir<strong>on</strong>ment (paragraphs 3.69–3.77).<br />
We c<strong>on</strong>trast two views:<br />
■ that to be a moral agent is a matter <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> following a set <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rules or principles; and<br />
■ that the requirements <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> moral agency cannot be formulated in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a precise set <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
principles, but rather requires cultivating a certain set <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> dispositi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> character, usually<br />
called virtues.<br />
XXIII