A living will clause for supporters of animal experimentation.
Many people assume that invasive research on animals is justified because of its supposed benefits and because of the supposed mental inferiority of animals. However probably most people would be unwilling to sign a living will which consigns themselves to live biomedical experimentation if they ever, through misfortune, end up with a mental capacity equivalent to a laboratory animal. The benefits would be greater by far for medical science if living will signatories were to be used, and also the mental superiority boast would no longer apply. Ultimately, it is argued that invasive biomedical experiments would be unacceptable in a democratic society whose members are philosophically self-consistent.
Sztybel
David
D
371 Sunnyside Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M6R 2R9, Canada. sztybeld@post.queensu.ca
D032761:Animal Experimentation / Q000941:ethics*; D017087:Animal Rights; D023401:Animal Use Alternatives / Q000941:ethics*; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000523:psychology; D032762:Autoexperimentation / Q000941:ethics*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003071:Cognition; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D026689:Ethical Analysis; D028663:Ethical Theory; D006805:Human Experimentation / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D016224:Living Wills / Q000145:classification / Q000941:ethics*; D008322:Mammals; D016743:Mental Competency; D011639:Public Opinion; D013045:Species Specificity; D013315:Stress, Psychological