Issues in Bioethics

Thesis

It is therefore completely useless in continuing testing cosmetics on animals due to the inaccurate results and the cruel abuse the animals go through.

Introduction

The term "bioethics" is derived from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and the Greek word ethos, meaning character. The meaning is essentially "life character." Today, ethics might be better described as applied morals or the philosophy of being moral, with bioethics being the discussion or application of morals within the diverse fields of the life sciences. (Murphy, Timoth, 67-88) The quest for better health has guided scientists and researchers to develop many tools for analysis including organic chemical synthesis and improved genetic engineering. A significant aspect of contemporary medical research is the use of animals as test subjects. Many advances in personal care products, pharmaceutical drugs, and life-saving medical treatments have come about through the use of animals for testing and research. However, this practice is controversial.

Explanation

Many people feel that animals are abused and mistreated for unnecessary research. The use of animals to test the safety of household or personal care products angers those who feel that humans are unfairly abusing animals for commercial gain. In contrast, scientists point out that animals are the most reliable indicators of potential human response to certain diseases and treatments, and that many successful, life-saving treatments and medical breakthroughs have emerged only because it is possible to test treatment options using animals, rather than human beings. (Murphy, Timoth, 67-88)

Unfortunately, some of these discoveries have come at the cost of the natural or induced death of test animals. So the ethical situation arises: Does the benefit of the new data outweigh the risk to the organism, or is the risk greater than the benefits? What may be considered unacceptable to one person may be an acceptable trade-off to another. To address this dilemma, bioethicists attempt to set reasonable restrictions and limits on experimentation so as to maintain a balance between the suffering of experimental animals and the research benefits that may be derived from animal experimentation. (Murphy, Timoth, 67-88)

Ethics itself has long been coupled to philosophy and religion. Each person's moral viewpoint is constructed from a host of factors, including education, family background, religion, personal experiences, social level, economic standing, and profession. So if every researcher and every consumer can, hypothetically, hold different views about the relationship between risk and benefit, who is responsible for setting guidelines? And what is the foundation for such guidelines? (Murphy, Timoth, 67-88)

Bioethics and Research Institutions

A first step toward establishing ethical guidelines for animal testing has been taken by institutions in the United States that fund research, such as the National Institute for Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Agriculture Department. Their policies are primarily set by the public in the form of political action initiated by their elected representatives. The directors and boards of these institutions consider the opinions of their constituents when deciding what types of research to support. Private institutions such as the Howard Hughes Foundation ...