Do opponents to animal research care more about animals than people?
This is used frequently as an argument to disparage concerns of opponents to animal research. In its basic form, utilitarianism – one of the most commonly accepted ethical frameworks – requires that our moral obligation is to obtain the maximum of happiness for everyone concerned. According to Singer, the characteristic that entitles a being to equal consideration of interests is its capacity for suffering and/or enjoyment or happiness. Other characteristics such as intelligence, rationality or skin colour are arbitrary. Similarly, Jeremy Benthan has stated “The question is not can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But can they suffer?” Under these criteria, animals are considered to have interests in not suffering and should therefore be included in our moral frameworks, thus having “rights.” Nevertheless, ethical arguments aside, animal experiments cause great harm to both animals AND to people. Opposing animal research is therefore out of concern for both animal and human wellbeing.
