Discussing Animal Rights and Animal Research in the Classroom

Article:
Discussing Animal Rights and Animal Research in the Classroom
By Harold A. Herzog

1. Research Question or Problem
The purpose of this article is to look at animal research in psychology and how the discussion of animal rights is essential to students taking psychology courses.

2. Introduction
There is a growing public concern over the ethical treatment of animals. Animal rights groups have criticized the uses of animals from wearing fur, sports hunting, rodeos, and the consumption of animal flesh. This article focuses mainly on the criticisms received regarding the use of animals in the laboratory in behavioral and biomedical research.
According to this article, there are three main reasons why discussing animal rights is important to students. One is that students should be aware of the political and social issues related to psychology that affect their lives. (Herzog, 1990, p.90). Other than animal rights, other social issues that join this controversy are pornography, television violence and the effects of daycare. Secondly, animal rights issue raises questions related to psychology such as, “can animals think?” or “What are the essential differences between humans and animals?” Lastly, the use of animal research in the laboratory has come under intense criticism. One example is the disapproval expressed by Ronald Reagan in 1983 which will be mentioned later.
Many animal liberationists believe that routine dissections of animals and the use of animals in psychology courses are particularly heavy practices. Many psychologists have dismissed animal rights activists as intellectual lightweights whose arguments are based on emotional responses (Herzog, 1990, p.90). Although in some sense this is accurate, there have been arguments from first-rate philosophers that are quite rigorous.
The animal defense movement is divided into two groups: reformers who admit that using animals in biomedical research is necessary but purpose to

References: The format used for citing references were consistent and all references given were cited properly in the article. The author used references from his own work as well as other psychologists. Other than psychologists, the author also chose to cite references from C.S Lewis and Ronald Reagan. 7. Personal Reaction As a psychology student I understand the implication that animal research as an integral part of psychology and many other scientific experiments. But I have, like many others, believed using animals for the purpose of serving humanity seemed cruel and immoral. Regardless of whether the research was to cure a disease or study a disorder. At the same time, I cannot help but feel somewhat of a hypocrite. Yes, cutting up an animal or shocking it with electricity sounds very cruel but how about going to see a horse race or even going to the Zoo. I can’t help but feel on some level, that it in its own way is cruel. Singer had argued that animals deserve equal rights as humans and deserve moral consideration. Is trapping a wild animal in small confinements so that we can gawk and admire them treating them with same equal right as a human? I don’t believe any human would like to be stuck in a cage so that they can be stared at all day. In fact, some may even argue that it is inhumane. One might contend that these animals aren’t suffering but how many times have animal rights activists bashed Zoos for providing inadequate treatment for these animals. And how much light has been put on farm animals being tortured, little chicks getting beaks cut off while they are still alive, cows getting whipped and kicked. Yet even with this awareness most people still eat chicken and beef from the people responsible for this cruelty, without much protest. We donate millions of our money to encouraging scientists to find the treatment for diseases such as cancer. Yet we disagree with them when they use animals in the process, even when it is clearly stated as necessary. I am not going to argue against the point that animal research is necessary. But as the saying goes, “where there is a will, there is a way.” So maybe it is possible to find a way where we can conduct experiments without the expense of innocent animals. It may cost us a lot of money and it may even mean that finding the cure for deathly diseases will take even longer without the help of animal research. It simply begs the question, exactly how valuable are our morals are to us? Reference Herzog, H. A. (1990) Discussing Animal Rights and Animal Research in the Classroom. Teaching of Psychology, 17(2), 90-93 Singer, P. (1985) Prologue: Ethics and the new animal liberation movement. In P. Singer (Ed.), In defense of animals, 1-10