The ethical implications of using animals for scientific research and the testing of various products has long been a contentious topic of discussion within both the scientific community and the general public. It’s not a black and white issue. People have mixed feelings about the use of animals, the types of animals used and for what purposes. For example, some people who think its wrong to surgically experiment on chimpanzees are perfectly fine with those techniques used on field mice. Whatever the specific perception of the individual, it’s an indisputable fact that research labs and private corporations exploit animals daily and have for many years. While few could argue the suffering of animals when subjected to testing for vanity purposes, such as for cosmetic products, is outrageous and wrong its true humans have indeed been the benefactor of animals used for medical research. Still, the physical pain, mental suffering and deaths of innocent animals are not worth gains in scientific knowledge. Consequently, animals should not be the subject of research, whether medical or consumer based, because it is unethical and for this basic, undeniable reason should be outlawed.
Those who oppose the ethical treatment of animals say the rights should only be afforded to moral beings but animals are not, that they do not possess the thinking skills of humans and their actions are based on primal instincts alone. However, a brief inspection of primates such as chimpanzees and other ape-like creatures demonstrate pretty obviously that they process and relay information very well. In addition they care for their young and cooperate in groups much the same as their primate cousins, human beings. These are traits shared by other animals too, not just primates. The difference, as it concerns testing, is that animals cannot provide consent to experimentation while humans can. If people of sound mind and adult age give their consent to experimentation then fine but sentient beings that do not, or cannot, then it’s not ok and should not be allowed. If it’s acceptable to do experiments are living beings that cannot give their consent then what about the use of people in a coma or suffer from dementia? How about the mentally disabled? Most people would say this is a ridiculous notion yet use the same criteria when advocating for animal experimentation.
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"Should Animals Have Rights?".
Humans and animals share many similarities such as thoughts and behaviors, the display of emotions and feelings of pain. Because of this animals should be treated with the same respect and dignity historically only afforded to humans. Animals don’t have a voice in the matter therefore should not be subject to experimentation. Despite this, the rights of animals have been routinely violated by most, if not all cultures on earth and condoned by the laws of all nations. Countless numbers of countless species have been the unwilling recipient of pain inducing experiments, many born and kept caged until they died or were no longer of use, a pitiful circumstance.
Regardless of the perceived benefits to the human animal it’s morally wrong to use other types of animals as we please because their basic rights are being violated when they have no say in their treatment. The risks associated with experimentation cannot be ethically transferred to beings which have not chosen to accept them. Animals have never freely sacrificed their bodies or minds so that a new medicine or antidote can be tested. They never gave their consent to be tested for cosmetics so that women could feel better about their appearance. These decisions have been forced upon them. Given that they are more like than unalike humans, this is wrong. They are not vegetables or minerals, they are animals just like people and should be given the same legal rights. Animal experimentation is provably immoral and should be illegal.
