What are the moral arguments for animal experimentation?
Those in favour of animal experiments, by contrast, locate moral standing in capacities that set humans apart from animals [Ref: New Statesman]. They argue that humans are rational and autonomous beings, capable of pursuing chosen ends and of constructing moral systems and then living with other humans on the basis of these moral rules [Ref: Guardian]. This makes humans self-conscious subjects, while animals are non-autonomous objects driven by instinct and unable to rise above the dictates of nature. We recognise this distinction in our everyday lives, they suggest – we would be suspicious of someone who put the interests of their pets before those of their family, and most people eat meat. Proponents of a human-centred morality argue that it is a mistake to draw moral conclusions from the scientific theory of Darwinism. The distinction between humans and animals is qualitative not quantitative: animals develop through evolution but humans develop themselves.
