Advantages and disadvantages of using animals for scientific experimentations (essay) - Wady i zalety robienia testów na zwierzętach (rozprawka)

It may sound peculiar but our attitude towards animals can show whether we act in a humane way or not. There are certain groups of people, who try to stress it whenever they can. Thanks to their efforts, many people have become aware of the fact that such an issue exists. The cruelty to animals, although quite common in many areas, ought not to be regarded as something casual. For instance, in Polish law animals may be treated as victims. One might be  sentenced to two years in prison for violence against them.

However, there are some situations, in which being cruel to animals is not treated as an offence. It is commonly thought that in certain circumstances we can justify such behaviour. It refers mostly to scientific experiments, in which animals are often being killed or at least severely hurt. The activists fighting for animals’ rights demand changes but it does not seem that their opinion will soon be the prevailing one. Scientific experiments are still considered extremely useful (the results of some save people’s lives) but can be dangerous for one’s health. Sometimes may even lead to death and therefore experimenting on men is forbidden. Instead of people then, scientists experiment on animals. Should such practice be prohibited?

As I have already mentioned, there are unquestionable advantages of using animals for scientific experiments. In the past, such experiments often resulted in crucial discoveries and inventions. We can say without any doubt that a great number of people could live longer or are still alive thanks to the results of those experiments. Animals are genetically similar to men and this is the main cause of the fact that they are so commonly used by scientists. If such a usage was forbidden, we would have to risk people’s lives in order make any scientific progress.

Supposedly we could all agree that experimenting on people is inhumane. We can imagine that most of those who would agree to be subjected to such experiments would be the poorest and the most sick members of our societies. We, in turn, would have to come to conclusion that risking their lives is a part of the price we have to pay if we want new vaccinations or cures for incurable diseases. I could not agree that. Such system would be open to abuse. What is more, the whole thing reminds me of the Nazi’s methods, because it would finally lead to the extermination of the weakest. Therefore, animals seem to be irreplaceable in scientific experiments.

On the other hand, though, one might say that killing defenceless animals is not less inhumane than killing people. We make use of the fact that they are not able to protest. We also seem to forget that many of them are almost as vulnerable as people. It is not true that they can barely feel anything – being subjected to scientific experiments is extremely painful for them.

Furthermore, not all the experiments are of the same importance – some can save people’s lives but there is substantial amount of those, which are not so significant. For instance, even though companies deny that, new cosmetics are being tested on animals. While using them to save people’s lives might be regarded as justified, it is much harder to understand that making your skin softer demands killing them too.

To sum up, I can say that we really need to think this issue over very carefully. Hopefully we will discover new methods of conducting scientific experiments and animals will no longer need to suffer for the sake of mankind. Although lives of numerous persons can depend on them, we ought to remember that killing means killing and nothing else. Therefore, scientists should search for other ways of making experiments.