It is that time of the year when animal rights activists, will show up at our workplaces dressed in their favorite animal costumes to spread more nonsense and misinformation about the nature of biomedical research. One of their favorite claims is that the scientific community treats animals like any other piece of disposable, laboratory equipment … Continue reading Straight from the animal rights book
Category: Philosophy
Objections to the Marginal Case Argument
Scientists are often challenged with the so-called marginal case argument. We are asked to spell out the criteria that make our experiments justifiable in animals but not in humans with comparable abilities and therefore comparable interests. These criteria, we are told, must be evaluated for each individual separately (so-called moral individualism). The resulting argument against … Continue reading Objections to the Marginal Case Argument
The Morality of Inaction: Reframing the Debate
Opponents of the use of animals in research challenge scientists and society as a whole to answer a simple question -- How can we possible justify harming other living beings in the course of scientific studies? In framing the moral debate with this question there is an implicit assumption that needs to be clarified. That … Continue reading The Morality of Inaction: Reframing the Debate
Speaking of Research 