Class 5 - Animal Research - Hitory of Ethics & Welfare Flashcards
Discuss the evolution of animal ethics in research, from the absence of rights to dedicated animal welfare disciplines.
Key Points:
1. Historical perspective on animals rights in research
2. Milestones in development of ethical standards.
3. Current practices and ongoing debates in animals research ethics.
What was the Ethical Question risin by Jeremy Bentham? – during the time when animals were seen as mere tools for human advancement?
The question is not – can they reason – nor – can they talk? – But, can they suffer?
What did the question “The question is not – can they reason – nor – can they talk? – But, can they suffer?” lay the foundation for?
Modern ethical discussion on animal research.
Animal welfare overview from here on–
from here on–
In What has Animal research has had a vital role due to which we enjoy a better life?
Scientific advancemnets.
Whom is it illegal to do medically experiment on?
Humans.
Whom is it Legal Sometimes to do medically experiment on?
Animals
What does Animal welfare refers to?
Physical and mental – well-being of animals.
What should Animals be free from and have their which needs met?
- Unnecessary distress, deprivation – and
- have their Basic needs met.
What is required for animals? – and what obligation do we humans have towards them?
- Housing
- Nutrition
- Veterinary care
- Enrichment
- We have a moral obligation to treat them with respect and dignity.
- Seeing their intrinsic value.
How do we balance human suffering with animal suffering?
- On one hand, it’s eradicated most human diseases.
- On the other hand, there is measurable pain and suffering.
- We are staring down a suffering mouse, or a suffering family member depending which we choose “Do we help humans? Or not harm animals?”
- Now we have Animal Welfare science (type 1 thinkers, type 2 thinkers) to bridge this gap.
What do we now have in order to bridge the gap between: who do we help, humans or animals?
Animal Welfare Science
Which 2 thinkers do Animal Welfare Science has?
- Type 1 thinker
- Type 2 thinker
Who are Type 1 Thinkers? Give examples.
Non-immersed philosophy.
Example:
- General philosophers
- Activists
- University students
Who are Type 2 Thinkers? Give examples.
Immersed philosophy.
Example:
- Veterinarians
- Scientists
- Ethologists
Which thinkers has taken greater steps solving animal ethics issues?
Type 2 philosophy thinkers
Give an overview of Animal Welfare.
- Animal welfare refers to Physical and Mental well-being if animals.
- Animal research has had a vital role in Scientific advancemnets, – and we enjoy a better life because of it. – But at WHAT cost?
- It is illegal to do medically experiment on Humans but sometimes legal to do medical experiments on animals.
- Animals should be free from Unnecessary distress, deprivation – and have their Basic needs met.
4.Housing, nutrition, veterinary care, and enrichment are all required. We have a moral obligation ot treat them with respect and dignity. - On one hand, it’s eradicated most human diseases.
On the other, there is measurable pain and suffering.– Animal Welfare Science to bridge this gap. It consits of Type 1 and Type 1 thinkers.
Ancient Animal welfare (before ~1500s).
Skip it entirely.
Modern animal welfare from here on —
(~1500s - 1950s).
–from here on–
What was the first real piece of legislation to lawfully protect animals?
– druing the industrialization period.
Martin’s Act 1822
What did Martin’s Act 1822 enforce?
Essentially, you couldn’ t beat or abuse cattle and horses.
What did Martin Act led to?
The Royal Society – for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1824. – One of the first activist groups of its kind not backed by religion.
What was addendum to the Martin’s Animal Act?
- Cruelty to Animals Acts. – Outlawed bull-baiting “sport” using dogs ot attack a bull.
- Protected animals other than horses and cattle.
- Increased penalties to those who broke the law.
What led to “Cruelty to Animals Acts”?
- Animals were suffereing.
- People genuinely cared and did not want to harm them.
What were the milestones in the development of ethical standards or what were the milestones to Cruelty to Animal Acts (an addendum to Martin’s law act)?
L I R - A 3 M
- Licensing
- Insepections
- Restrictions
- Anesthesia
- The 3 Rs.
- Modern Housing and Enrichment
Licensing:
Researchers had
to obtain license – to perform
experiments on animals.
Inspections:
Laboratories are
subject to regular inspections.
Restrictions:
Experiment – ONLY if – there was no alternative available – for scientific purposes.
Anesthesia:
Anesthesia – must
be used for painful
procedures.
3Rs.
Principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (3Rs), which remain central to humane animal research.
Modern Housing and Enrichment:
Earlier research confined animals to sterile environments, but later studies demonstrated the necessity of environmental enrichment.
What were the milestones in the development of ethical standards or what were the milestones to Cruelty to Animal Acts (an addendum to Martin’s law act)?
Licensing and Oversight: Early laws mandated that researchers obtain licenses for experiments.
Anesthesia Requirements: The introduction of anesthesia in 1986 through the Animals Act addressed ethical concerns regarding pain in animal research.
The Three Rs (1959): William Russell and Rex Burch introduced the principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (3Rs), which remain central to humane animal research.
Modern Housing and Enrichment: Earlier research confined animals to sterile environments, but studies in the 1960s, such as those by James R. Weeks, demonstrated the necessity of environmental enrichment.
Protestors were mostly
horrified at the lack of anesthesia in animal
experiments. –Replaced
in 1986 by Animals Act which expanded current protections.
–xx–
see image. on exam
What is Vivesection?
Live experiments –
Concerned with the disregard of animals in experiments. – Sparked worldwide Anti-vivisection groups around the world.
the way we are treating animals is the way employers are treating employees. workers were treated poorly. saw this parallel action between employees and animals. vivesection movemnt started - is live experiment) (on exam).— INDUSTRIALIZATION (on exam = short answer ques.) showed we need better conditions for humans.
on exam
–
- Give the example of Vivesection.
- What did it lead to.
- In the 1900s a Brown Dog was studied in the university – where its pancreas and salivary glands were removed – without anesthesia. – Dog was ethunaised by being stabbed in the heart during this procedure.
- It led to the use if anesthesia on animals.
What is the Historical Perspective on Animal Rights in Research?
Historically, animals were seen as mere tools for human advancement. The philosophical question posed by Jeremy Bentham—”The question is not, can they reason nor can they talk? but, can they suffer?”—laid the foundation for modern ethical discussions on animal welfare. – Early research largely disregarded animal pain, with no formal protections in place.
A significant milestone in early legal protection was Martin’s Act of 1822, which outlawed the abuse of cattle and horses. – This was followed by the founding of the** Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals** (RSPCA) in 1824. – The Cruelty to Animals Act of 1876 marked the first significant attempt to regulate animal experimentation, requiring licensing and introducing regular inspection.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw growing public concern, particularly from the antivivisectionist movement, which opposed live animal experiments. The infamous Brown Dog Affair (1903-1910) highlighted the lack of proper anesthesia in research and led to increased public outcry.
Contemporary Animal Welfare from here on–
–xx–
explain the image
- Lunched into space by Russian – to see Psychological and Physiological effects of space travel.
- Vital signs – would be monitored during the trip.
- Reported: that Laika survived several days in orbit. – Actually died prior to launch – from excessive heat.
explain the image.
One of the first animal clones,
created in 1996. Died an early death at 6, – instead of 10 or 12.
But… her generative cells were But… from 6-year old sheep.
explain the image.
- Created… ? Born…?
- Mutated to express the Green Fluroscent Protein (GFP).
What was pinnacle of animal research?
3rs
What are 3Rs.
Principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (3Rs), which remain central to humane animal research.
How were lab animals housed Initially?
In bare, sterile cages influenced by behaviourism
Initially, what did poeple believe about animals brain?
That brains were “blank slates” – shaped only by social factors. – The fewer variables there were, the fewer confounds in the experiment. However, this was not the case –Researchers sought strict control over animals, minimizing exposure to variables but overlooked their natural needs. Deprivation (food, water, housing) became a variable itself. Many studies focused on dopamine’s role in addiction, but stressed animals were more likely to seek drugs.
GIve an example of removing all variable in rats environmnet where they got addicted to drug.
Rats were placed in an operant conditioning chamber where they could self-administer cocaine. – Deprived rats from their natural environmnet, rats showed compulsive drug use, revealing that removing all variables was itself a confound. – Rats in enriched environments were less addicted, highlighting the biological need for enrichment and sparking discussions on aligning research with animal welfare.
Why did researchers in modern era house animals in a bare, sterile cage?
S H C - L R
- Scientific control.
- Hygiene and disease control.
- Cost effectiveness.
- Lack of awareness.
- Regulatory lag.
Explain Scientific control.
Reduce variables, increase consistency, reliability and interpretability.
Explain Hygiene and disease control
Easier to clean and disinfect.
Explain Cost effectiveness.
Economical to and produce maintain, research budgets were limited.
Explain Lack of awareness.
Limited understanding physiology.
Explain Regulatory lag.
Animal welfare regulations took some time catch up to laboratory standards.
Why did researchers in modern era house animals in a bare, sterile cage?
- Scientific control - reduce variables, increase consistency, reliability and interpretability.
- Hygiene and disease control - **easier to clean **and disinfect.
-
Cost effectiveness - Economical
to and produce maintain, research budgets were limited. - Lack of awareness - limited understanding physiology.
- Regulatory lag - animal welfare regulations took tie to catch up to laboratory standards.
How did deprived housing conditions in animal research create a confound, and how does this relate to the nature vs. nurture debate?
However, deprivation itself is a confound, affecting research outcomes. – Baseline enrichment is essential, as findings are inherently tied to environmental conditions. – This aligns with the nature vs. nurture debate—adding enrichment/environment reflects nurture, while** deprivation assumes nature** alone shapes behavior. – Early scientists lacked awareness of these impacts.
- Scientific control - reduce variables, increase consistency, reliability and interpretability.
- Hygiene and disease control - **easier to clean **and disinfect.
-
Cost effectiveness - Economical
to and produce maintain, research budgets were limited. - Lack of awareness - limited understanding physiology.
- Regulatory lag - animal welfare regulations took tie to catch up to laboratory standards.
What are the Current Practices and Ongoing Debates in Animal Research Ethics?
**3Rs
Reduce/reduction
Replacement
refinement**
Today, the ethical landscape of animal research – is shaped – by both scientific advancements and public scrutiny. – Regulatory frameworks enforce humane treatment, requiring adherence to the 3Rs. – Animal welfare scientists, including veterinarians and ethologists, work to balance the benefits of research with minimizing harm to animals.
Key debates include:
- Necessity vs. Harm: Research has contributed to eradicating diseases but also raises moral concerns about animal suffering.
- Intrinsic Value of Animals: Ethical discussions question whether animals have value beyond their utility to humans.
- Notable Cases: The launch of Laika (1957) and the cloning of Dolly the sheep (1996) sparked debates about the extent to which animals should be used for scientific progress.
- Animal-Free Alternatives: Advancements in technology, such as organ-on-a-chip and AI modeling, present potential alternatives to live animal research.
Discuss the evolution of animal ethics in research, from the absence of rights to dedicated animal welfare disciplines.
Key Points:
1. Historical perspective on animals rights in research
2. Milestones in development of ethical standards.
- Current Practices and Ongoing Debates in Animal Research Ethics.
Today, the ethical landscape of animal research – is shaped – by both scientific advancements and public scrutiny. – Regulatory frameworks enforce humane treatment, requiring adherence to the 3Rs. – Animal welfare scientists, including veterinarians and ethologists, work to balance the benefits of research with minimizing harm to animals.
Key debates include:
Necessity vs. Harm: Research has contributed to eradicating diseases but also raises moral concerns about animal suffering.
Intrinsic Value of Animals: Ethical discussions question whether animals have value beyond their utility to humans.
Notable Cases: The launch of Laika (1957) and the cloning of Dolly the sheep (1996) sparked debates about the extent to which animals should be used for scientific progress.
Animal-Free Alternatives: Advancements in technology, such as organ-on-a-chip and AI modeling, present potential alternatives to live animal research.
