For Our Children

The Ethics of Animal Experimentation in the Age of Genetic Engineering
Erscheinungsjahr 2010
ISBN: 978-90-420-2804-3
Verlag: Brill | Rodopi

Buch, Englisch, Band 215, 202 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 345 g

Reihe: Value Inquiry Book Series / Values in Bioethics

This book provides an overview of different ethical views on animal experimentation. Special attention is given to the production and experimental use of genetically modified animals. It proposes a middle course between those positions that are very critical and those very positive. This middle course implies that animal experiments originating in vital human research interests are commonly justified, provided that animal welfare is taken seriously. Some animal experiments are not acceptable, since the expected human benefit is too low and the animal suffering too severe. This position is supported by an argument from species care according to which we have special obligations to our children and other humans due to special relations. The book tries to bridge the gap between animal ethics and animal welfare science by discussing various conceptions of animal welfare: function-centered, feeling-based, and those focusing on natural living. The theoretical starting-point is “imaginative casuistry.” This approach stresses the role of moral imagination and metaphor in ethical deliberation, accepts a plurality of values, and recognizes the importance of case-by-case balancing. In the discussion of genetically modified animals, both intrinsic ethical concerns and animal welfare concerns are addressed.

Fachgebiete

• Technische Wissenschaften Verfahrenstechnik | Chemieingenieurwesen | Biotechnologie Biotechnologie Medizinische Biotechnologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Ethik, Moralphilosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface
Introduction: Animal Experimentation, Public Opinion, and Philosophical Debate
Five Ethical Prototypes of Animal Experimentation
The Case for “Weak Human Priority”
The Scientific Value of Animal Experimentation
Animal Welfare and Ethical Balancing
Genetically Modified Animals in Research
Works Cited
Index