Animal Rights

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the topic of animal rights. Specifically, it investigates what Immanuel Kant believed about the treatment of animals and animal rights. It discusses how Kant might have felt about the use of animals for biomedical research. It also provides criticisms of Kant's views on animals' feelings and rights.

From the Paper:

"Kant would probably agree with animal testing, as it can aid the treatment of many human diseases, and the harm of a few animals for the good of rational human beings makes perfect sense. However, if animals can indeed feel pain and can suffer, then animal testing is often cruel and abusive. Kant might agree morally with using animals to save human lives, but a visit to a testing laboratory might change his view. Many of the cruelties these labs use in the name of science are difficult to view. Cohen believes that using animals in all testing does not make sense, but it does make sense in areas where there is the most risk to humans in testing. However, another animal rights expert disagrees. He writes, "Rights thought dictates that we cannot kill one rights-holder to save another - or even more than one other - whether or not the life of the former is 'different' from that of the latter" (Zak 281). This certainly is far from Kant's views on animals and their value to society. Kant feels they have little value other than intrinsic and humanistic value, and so, there is nothing ethically wrong with using them to benefit and enhance human life."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cohen, Carl. "The Case for the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research." Rice University. (1986). 6 Dec. 2006.<http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~norcross/Cohen.pdf>
• Gruen, Lori. "The Moral Status of Animals." Stanford University. (2003). 6 Dec. 2006. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-animal/
• Singer, Pete. "Do Animals Feel Pain?" AnimalConcerns.org. (1990). 6 Dec. 2006. http://articles.animalconcerns.org/ar-voices/archive/pain.html
• Zak, Steven. "Ethics and Animals." Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Science, Technology, and Society, Fifth Edition, Thomas A. Easton, ed. New York: McGraw Hill/Duskin. 2002, pp. 278-286.

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