Animal Experimentation: A Necessary Evil.
Even during the age of Plato, man has thought of himself as superior to other animals (Plato 3-6). Aristotle described man as a "rational animal." And because of the ability to rationalize, the human species has separated itself into its own class with no fellow peers or combatants (Rollin 14-15). The only competition human kind now faces is with itself because of the same trait of rationalization that separated them in the first place.
In today's society, animals play an important role in scientific development. The current estimate for laboratory animals used annually in experimentation ranges from 200 to 225 million animals (Rollin 135). The problem man now confronts is whether this sacrifice is worth the benefits that it produces. Although animal experimentation may be cruel and harsh, it is necessary for the progression and welfare of the human race.
Many feel that, in theory, the human species has no obligation to animals. Animals have no mental consciousness close to being compared to that of a sophisticated man. They are resources and therefore expendable (Cohen 179). Mankind is self-legislative and can make moral decisions while animals cannot. Our obligations arise not from claims of animal rights, for which they have none, but from many surrounding circumstances. These circumstances are truces or bonds based on internal commitments much like that of a physician to a patient, or a difference in status like that seen between an adult and a child. It can also be simply defined as a special relationship or act of kindness, or sympathy (Cohen 105). Cohen gives a fine illustration of this by saying:.
My dog has no right to daily exercise and veterinary care, but I do have the obligation to provide these things for her (105).
Whichever circumstance arises, it has nothing to do with animal rights. In addition to these circumstances, basic principles are held as grounds when conducting research on animals.