Animal wellbeing -- relevant when we get to wild animal module, zoos, aquaria
What is it for an animal to have wellbeing or lack wellbeing?
- Simple hedonism -- pleasure & pain (Peter Singer)
- Sophisticated hedonism -- pleasure & pain, but ethological pleasure prioritized; deprivation vs. infliction (Cheryl Abbate)
- Capabilities approach -- fulfillment of various basic capabilities (Martha Nussbaum 11/9)
- Liberty & wild dignity -- to be discussed (Lori Gruen 11/20)
_________________________
Using animals for research
- What's going on in animal labs
- How animal research is regulated in the US
- When, if ever, is animal research justified?
- chapter is 70 pages long (print edition)
- worldwide, roughly 200 million animals killed for research annually
- psychology experiments
- product and drug testing (next time)
- medical experiments (another source)
- regulations
- justification
_________________________
Psychopathology experiments--must induce mental illness in the animals, so the misery is the point
- "monkey models of mental illness" (Steve Suomi) -- PETA whistleblower video -- what was the point?
- maternal deprivation (Harlow & Suomi) -- 1950s show about Harlow (6:00 - )
- abuse (Harlow & Suomi), quote on p. 10-11
- depression (Harlow & Suomi) -- the well of despair
- learned helplessness experiments (Seligman) -- shuttleboxes
- PTSD experiments -- a schedule of stresses
Singer's objections (among others):
- these experiments told us things we had already learned by observing kids in orphanages (John Bowlby)
- Endless permutations and repetitions
_________________________
Medical research through the eyes of its defenders
- Tour of an animal lab--Dr. John Young
- transparency strategy--don't let PETA be the only one to tells the publlc what's going on in animal labs -- like state fair showing farrowing stalls
- Americans for Medical Progress
Product and drug testing -- next time
_________________________
Regulations
Animal cruelty laws
- Lab animals: applies, but not to mice, rats, birds, cold-blooded animals
- Farm animals: doesn't apply except during transportation; doesn't apply to rodeos
- Zoos and aquariums: applies to warm-blooded animals, doesn't apply to birds
- marine mammals (p. 196, p. 213)
- You can file a complaint
- Pets: applies to those in pet stores and during transport
Provisions for lab animals (highlights)
- Most animals used are not covered (mice, rats, birds, cold-blooded animals)
- Proper food and housing
- Enrichment for primates, exercise for dogs
- Pain relief, but can be withheld when scientifically necessary
- Same animal can't be subjected to multiple surgical procedures, except when scientifically necessary
- IACUC (institutional animal care and use committees) -- including a vet, nonfamily of primary researcher
- Iacuc must approve proposals
- IACUC not like human subject review panel--no requirement of consent or benefit to subjects
- Inspections
Critique --
- no judgment ever made about whether the harm to animals is balanced by benefit to humans (the balance question)
- regulates HOW experiments are done, not WHETHER theyr'e done
- the UK and European Union do consider balance and therefore prohibit cosmetic testing/research
_________________________
Peter Singer -- is research on animals ever justified?
- Shouldn't say "never"
- Should experiment on animals if you wouldn't experiment on comparable humans -- no speciesism
- Example of experiment that may be justifiable -- Tipu Aziz, Parkinson's research
The way forward
- Somewhat skeptical that loss of animal research would make a huge difference to human health
- Skeptical of claim that human lifespan would be only 42 if it weren't for animal research