Ethical aspects of animal experimentation

Author(s): Cock Buning, Tj. de; Heeger, F.R.; Verhoog, H.
Document type: Article
Year: 2001
Pages: 18
Source: Publishing house: Elsevier (Amsterdam et al.). Zutphen, L.F.M. van, Baumans, V., Beynen, A.C.: Principles of Laboratory Animal Science. A contribution to the human use and care of animals and to the quality of experimental results. Revised Edition (2001), p. 353-371.
Language(s): English

Classification

National background: The Netherlands
Category: EU Training Material for Research Ethics
Subject areas: Animal experimentation
Content: Normative reflections
Issues touched: Beneficence, non-maleficence, risk for the subject Ethics committees, research protocols, research on animals
Audience: Students of natural sciences
Classification remarks: The authors do not discuss "the merits or shortcomings of moral defences or moral rejections of animal research"; they rather focus on the "dialogue" as a "model for ethical reasoning". In this regard "pitfalls in ethical argumentation" are shown. The Council Directive 86/609/EEC (regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes) is annexed (p. 373-381), the legal background is shortly discussed in the article by Greeve, P.C.M. de, Hampson, J., Zutphen, L.F.M. van: Legislation and animal experimentation, p. 11-18.

Estimation

Theoretical quality remarks: The authors do not discuss "the merits or shortcomings of moral defences or moral rejections of animal research"; they rather focus on the "dialogue" as a "model for ethical reasoning". The purpose of a dialogue is "to arrive at justified normative directions for conduct". In this regard "pitfalls in ethical argumenattion" are discussed in some detail.
Didactical quality: Didactically prepared material
Didactical quality remarks: The entire book (Zutphen et al.) is used for the "International course on laboratory animal science" at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht.
Overall estimation: recommendable
Estimation remarks: The text might be useful for students both as an introduction to the ethical aspects of animal experimentation and the theoretical aspects of ethical reasoning in general.