Question

When is animal research ethical?

A.    Never

B.    When steps are taken to ensure that the animal experiences minimal pain and suffering

C.    When human lives can be saved as a result of the knowledge gained

D.   When research is conducted at universities rather than by for-profit organizations

Please choose your answer and explain your choice as indicated by the directions by explaining your thoughts with at least 175 words per entry at minimum to help demonstration elaboration of concepts.

Answer 1

(Answer) C

In a perfect world, the answer to this question would be “A – Never.” However, it cannot be denied that research through animal testing has helped the scientific community understand the dynamics of certain diseases and afflictions that affect humans. These studies have gone on to make improvements in the medical field, which has saved the lives of humans and animals alike. The solution to curbing animal cruelty is to ensure that the purpose of the research is valid and not just to create a shampoo that would make one’s hair shinier. Tough ethics must be applied to tough research that might entail curing cancer or some major disease. Also, if and when the researcher is able to achieve their goals through other testing methods or post-mortem studies, they should be able to avoid animal testing. Therefore, it would be essential to ensure that animal testing is conducted on in cases where human (or animal) lives can be saved as a result of the knowledge gained.