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 ...
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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 />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
14.26 Ins<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ar as the benefits cannot be obtained by any other means, prop<strong>on</strong>ents <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the ’<strong>on</strong><br />
balance justificati<strong>on</strong>’ view usually emphasise the importance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the benefits derived from<br />
pharmaceutical and toxicological <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>, and possibly also the value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> results produced<br />
in the c<strong>on</strong>text <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> basic and applied biological and medical sciences (see also Chapters 5–9).<br />
However, some assert that a reas<strong>on</strong>able likelihood <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> success, in terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a useful<br />
applicati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>, must be given for any experiment to be justified, particularly if it<br />
is likely to adversely affect the welfare <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>. Others disagree with this<br />
requirement and refer to the ‘jigsaw puzzle’ <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> science, in which almost any new <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
project c<strong>on</strong>tributes to valuable knowledge (paragraph 3.53). Nevertheless, both positi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
can agree that <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> for trivial purposes, such as the testing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> new cosmetics, or <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> new<br />
household cleaners that differ insignificantly from already marketed products, is not<br />
justifiable.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Three Rs<br />
14.27 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> ’<strong>on</strong> balance justificati<strong>on</strong>’ view is sympathetic towards all Three Rs provided the current<br />
level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> basic and applied scientific <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> can be maintained, and future progress is not<br />
hindered. Possible c<strong>on</strong>flicts between implementing any <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Three Rs and delaying<br />
scientific progress would usually be resolved in the interest <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> scientific development. With<br />
regard to Replacements, prop<strong>on</strong>ents note that there will always be some areas in which<br />
animal <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> cannot be replaced. For example, <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>ers studying animal behaviour<br />
such as bird flight or s<strong>on</strong>g will clearly not be able to undertake this <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> humans. In<br />
other areas, pragmatic and ethical c<strong>on</strong>cerns are likely to make it impossible to replace the<br />
use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> with humans. For example, they would argue that it would neither be<br />
practically feasible, nor ethically acceptable, to produce inbred strains <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> humans for<br />
genetic knock-out studies (see Chapter 7).<br />
CHAPTER 14 DISCUSSION OF ETHICAL ISSUES<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> ‘moral dilemma’ view<br />
Justificati<strong>on</strong> for using <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
14.28 According to this view, most <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> usually poses pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ound ethical dilemmas, as a<br />
decisi<strong>on</strong> is required between two alternatives, both <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> which are equally morally<br />
problematic. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> current scientific approach requires <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> that are viewed as moral<br />
subjects to be involved in harmful <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g>, in order to comply with the moral imperative<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> preventing and alleviating human suffering. However, this approach is ethically<br />
challenging to the ‘moral dilemma’ view, since an inclusive c<strong>on</strong>cepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> morality regards<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> as moral subjects. At the same time, if <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> were not used in potentially harmful<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> it would be far more difficult to comply with the duty <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> preventing and<br />
alleviating human suffering.<br />
14.29 An important aspect <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the ‘moral dilemma’ view is the fact that, to some degree, the<br />
dilemma is caused by historical circumstances. For example, the present populati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
adults in the UK lives in an envir<strong>on</strong>ment in which currently available products and<br />
treatments have set a benchmark for medical standards and scientific progress. Many <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
these products have involved animal experimentati<strong>on</strong> at some stage in their <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> and<br />
development. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> current populati<strong>on</strong> did not ask for the <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> to be undertaken, but<br />
has become used to it and benefited from its results in many ways. Accordingly, although<br />
ethical c<strong>on</strong>cern for the welfare <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> would demand that at least some types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> should be given up, this is difficult, because most members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> society would not<br />
be prepared merely to maintain, or even to slow down, the current scientific level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> in the biomedical sciences. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> moral dilemma might never have occurred if,<br />
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