Term 3 - Ethics Animal Research

The Utilitarian Argument - can mention in Section A

• The utilitarian argument assumes that if research results in a greater good, then it is appropriate

• This argument also supports the idea that animals should not be used if research can be done in any other way and yield the same results

• A cost-benefit analysis must be carried out to determine if the research would be ethical

• If the findings would benefit a significant number of humans and/or animals, it could be argued that the research is ethically justified

The Animal Rights Argument - can mention in Section A

• The animal rights argument, however, argued that the utilitarian argument is an example of speciesism - the idea that being human is a good enough reason for human animals to have greater rights than non-human animals

• The animal rights argument believes that all animals have rights, and that using animals for research is considered inappropriate

Alternatives to Animal Research - Computer Models

Computer models or simulations may be used to predict outcomes, rather than using animals. However, creating models indicates that we already understand a system and thus can build a model. This is not often the case. Computer models tell us what happens in the brain - we have to tell the model. There is an element of randomness to behaviour that cannot be accounted for in computer simulations

Alternatives to Animal Research - In Vitro Methods

In vitro methods use cell and tissue samples from humans or animals for testing. This method works well when looking at the chemical or cellular effects of treatments, but it is unable to look at behavioural outcomes. For example, we could investigate how cortisol levels affect hippocampal cells, but we would not know what the actual behavioural effects were as a result. In addition, cells work within a body system. The complexity of a living animal and interconnected systems cannot be fully imitated in an in vitro culture

Alternatives to Animal Research - Human Research

More clinical trials with humans would decrease the number of animals required. As with animal research, there are ethical concerns about using humans, especially in biological research