PHIL 3720 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Animal Testing, Fetus
Document Summary
His argument provides an actual guide for what should be done. Rights (combatting prejudice is usually done with representation. The basis of rights: a social contract is formed and respected, rights are essential to cooperation. Since animals are used to improve humans" quality of life (such as by testing vaccines), the benefits aren"t overestimated. Regardless of their status (such as terminally ill), human beings retain a higher quality of life than animals. The term subject(s)-of-a-life was debated in favor of capacities. Just because we (as humans) have a social contract, we don"t have to exclude animals from getting in on it regardless of it they respect ours. Animals don"t kill on a whim, just when they need to eat or defend themselves. It will kill birds and mice just because it wants something to play with, then not eat them sometimes. In this way, animals disprove the above argument. Animal testing is necessary for humans" survival.
