Animals play an invaluable role in medical research. Countless medical discoveries have been made possible because of animal test subjects. They have contributed to the development of medications used to treat asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and many other diseases. "Research in the last few decades has also begun to tackle some of the more difficult medical problems such as heart disease, depression, and newly emerged infections such as HIV, and many cancers.”
Despite these benefits, animals rights activists maintain ethical doubts about using animals as test subjects. They claim that animals undergo unnecessary pain when they are used in experiments.
However, while some scientific studies have concluded that animals do feel pain, others show that the cerebral cortex: the part of the brain that perceives pain , differs in animals. It decreases in size, moving down the evolutionary chain, from humans to animals. Even if animals have to capacity to feel pain, humans posses higher mental capacities than animals. This means that humans experience …show more content…
The answer to the question changes depending on the philosophical theory used to look at the issue and the way that it is applied. From an utilitarian point of view, animal research results in more benefit than harm, and is therefore ethical. Experiments on animals result in discoveries that help people live better and healthier lives. Without the utilitarian branch of philosophical thought, it would be difficult to come to this decision. It seems that most of the world agrees with this conclusion, because although medical research involving animals remains controversial, few would refuse medication on the grounds that it was created using animal
Despite these benefits, animals rights activists maintain ethical doubts about using animals as test subjects. They claim that animals undergo unnecessary pain when they are used in experiments.
However, while some scientific studies have concluded that animals do feel pain, others show that the cerebral cortex: the part of the brain that perceives pain , differs in animals. It decreases in size, moving down the evolutionary chain, from humans to animals. Even if animals have to capacity to feel pain, humans posses higher mental capacities than animals. This means that humans experience …show more content…
The answer to the question changes depending on the philosophical theory used to look at the issue and the way that it is applied. From an utilitarian point of view, animal research results in more benefit than harm, and is therefore ethical. Experiments on animals result in discoveries that help people live better and healthier lives. Without the utilitarian branch of philosophical thought, it would be difficult to come to this decision. It seems that most of the world agrees with this conclusion, because although medical research involving animals remains controversial, few would refuse medication on the grounds that it was created using animal