The Human Use of Animals: Case Studies in Ethical Choice

By Tom L. Beauchamp, F. Barbara Orlans, Rebecca Dresser

Book Overview

The first set of case studies on animal use, this volume offers a thorough, up-to-date exploration of the moral issues related to animal welfare. Its main purpose is to examine how far it is ethically justifiable to harm animals in order to benefit mankind. An excellent introduction provides a framework for the cases and sets the background of philosophical and moral concepts underlying the subject. Sixteen original, previously unpublished essays cover controversies associated with the human use of animals in a broad range of contexts, including biomedical, behavioral, and wildlife research, cosmetic safety testing, education, the food industry, commerce, and animal use as pets and in religious practices. Scientific research is accorded the closest scrutiny. The authors represent a wide range of expertise within their specialized areas of research--physiology, public policy, ethics, philosophy, law, veterinary science, and psychology. The careful analysis of each case makes it possible to elevate the discourse beyond over-simplified positions, and to demonstrate the complexity of the issues. The Human Use of Animals will be welcomed by students and faculty in law, philosophy, ethics, public policy, religion, medicine, and veterinary medicine. It will also interest activists in the animal protection movement, and members of animal protection organizations and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195119088
• ISBN13: 9780195119084
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

RIGHT ON!!!There's NO excuse for animal abuse!!!

This book was Great! everyone should read it

A SOUND ETHICAL TREATMENT OF THE ANIMAL DEBATE

Orlans et al have made a novel and invaluable contribution to the ethical debate concerning "The Human Use of Animals". As a biomedical researcher of fifteen years , I appreciated the frank objectivity that the authors brought to such morally complicated issues as animal experimentation, modern animal farming practices, and religious sacrifice. Each of the case studies presented invokes considerable soul searching and further challenges the reader to question whether we as humans are doing enough to meet our moral obligations to nonhuman animals. These moral obligations, highlighted in the various case studies, are not derived from any legalistic or heady philosophical meanderings but rather stem from an intrinsic sense of right and wrong. The case studies presented in this and hopefully future volumes of "The Human Use of Animals" should become required reading in biomedical ethics curricula.