Interdisciplinary Animal Research Ethics - Challenges, Opportunities, and Perspectives

Can nonhuman animals be used for the benefit of humans in a scientifically and morally justified manner and, if yes, how? Based on our own experiences as scholars from various academic backgrounds, we argue that this question can only be answered as an interdisciplinary and international endeavor, considering insights from research ethics and animal ethics as well as scientific and legal aspects. The aim of this article is to contribute to the foundation of the emerging field of animal research ethics. In doing so, we describe the following seven phases of animal research experiments: ethical, legal and social presumptions (phase 0), planning (phase I), review (phase II), conduct of experiments (phase III), publication/dissemination (phase IV), further exploitation of results (phase V), and evaluation (phase VI). In total, 20 key ethical, legal, and practical challenges that an ethical framework for the use of animals in research needs to address are identified and analyzed. Finally, we characterize the following four meta-challenges and opportunities associated with animal research ethics as a field: (1) moral pluralism, (2) the integration of views and positions outside the laboratory, (3) international plurality of conduct, standards, and legal norms, and (4) interdisciplinary education

Authorization of animal research proposals – a comparison of harm concepts in different European regulations

Meeting the professional responsibilities of veterinarians in animal research has been described by the German Federal Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons (Bundestierärztekammer, BTK) as a “special ethical challenge”. Veterinarians are involved in animal research, not only as researcher and animal welfare officers, but also as members of ethical review committees and as such require a unique set of skills to provide a wide range of services and practices. Animal research in Europe is strictly regulated. The harm-benefit analysis (HBA) is one of the legal corner stones in project authorization and as such has to be carried out within a specific legal framework. Hence, veterinarians (and other members of ethical review committees) require an understanding of the normative foundation of animal research legislation in order to fulfill their role and responsibilities. Against this background, it is the goal of this article (1) to introduce the rationale and role of the harm concept and the HBA in project evaluation of animal research. (2) We then outline the different harm concepts which the European and the Swiss legislation are based on and (3) elaborate on the moral significance that is given to different forms of harm within the HBA in these legal frameworks. (4) Last, we demonstrate potential practical implications of these conceptually different normative frameworks for project evaluation in animal research with the practical example of genetically disenhancing the ability of rodents to feel pain and to suffer

Kantian Ethics and the Animal Turn. On the Contemporary Defence of Kant’s Indirect Duty View

Criticism of Kant’s position on our moral relationship with animals dates back to the work of Arthur Schopenhauer and Leonard Nelson, but historically Kantian scholars have shown limited interest in the human-animal relationship as such. This situation changed in the mid-1990s with the arrival of several publications arguing for the direct moral considerability of animals within the Kantian ethical framework. Against this, another contemporary Kantian approach has continued to defend Kant’s indirect duty view. In this approach it is argued, first, that it is impossible to establish direct duties to animals, and second, that this is also unnecessary because the Kantian notion that we have indirect duties to animals has far-reaching practical consequences and is to that extent adequate. This paper explores the argument of the far-reaching duties regarding animals in Kant’s ethics and seeks to show that Kantians underestimate essential differences between Kant and his rivals today (i.e., proponents of animal rights and utilitarians) on a practical and fundamental level. It also argues that Kant’s indirect duty view has not been defended convincingly: the defence tends to neglect theory-immanent problems in Kant’s ethics connected with unfounded value assumptions and unconvincing arguments for the denial of animals’ moral status. However, it is suggested that although the human-animal relationship was not a central concern of Kant’s, examination of the animal question within the framework of Kant’s ethics helps us to develop conceptual clarity about his duty concept and the limitations of the reciprocity argument

La vocation de Lucerne pour l'aviation. Nouveau hangar polyvalent sur l'aérodrome d'Emmen, pour les vols d'affaires et des manifestations de la ville (LU)

La diminution de l'exploitation par l'Armée Suisse de l'aérodrome d'Emmen (LU) a provoqué des réflexions politiques sur l'utilisation civile conjointe à celle de l'Armée. Le projet reprend l'idée, publiée en été 2006, d'utiliser l'infrastructure de l'aérodrome d'Emmen aussi pour des vols d'affaires. L'idée architecturale du projet est d'effacer la division entre le hangar et le terminal; autrement dit, le hangar devient le terminal. De plus, le projet tient compte de la spécificité d'Emmen qui prévoit l'interdiction de l'exploitation de l'aérodrome durant les week-ends. Le projet répond à cette situation par la polyvalence du hangar qui sera utilisé en tant que salle de fête les samedis et dimanches. Cette proposition tente de produire des synergies entre les activités aéronautiques et les manifestations de la ville. L'élaboration du projet est guidée par trois critères architecturaux : Premièrement le projet repose sur la fascination des Lucernois pour l'aviation. En 1910, Lucerne était la première ville de Suisse à avoir une station de dirigeables et aussi une des premières villes en Europe à avoir une exploitation commerciale des machines volantes. Le projet essaye donc d'ouvrir à nouveau au public et aux passagers le monde fascinant de l'aviation. Deuxièmement, le projet essaye de donner un caractère régional au terminal, ce qui est souvent négligé dans l'architecture contemporaine des terminaux. Le projet s'inspire de l'architecture de la station de dirigeables de Lucerne, qui était pendant son existence un des bâtiments les plus marquants de la ville. Troisièmement, le projet cherche à minimiser les dépenses énergétiques et à utiliser des matériaux de construction naturels

Interdisciplinary Animal Research Ethics—Challenges, Opportunities, and Perspectives

<jats:p>Can nonhuman animals be used for the benefit of humans in a scientifically and morally justified manner and, if yes, how? Based on our own experiences as scholars from various academic backgrounds, we argue that this question can only be answered as an interdisciplinary and international endeavor, considering insights from research ethics and animal ethics as well as scientific and legal aspects. The aim of this article is to contribute to the foundation of the emerging field of animal research ethics. In doing so, we describe the following seven phases of animal research experiments: ethical, legal and social presumptions (phase 0), planning (phase I), review (phase II), conduct of experiments (phase III), publication/dissemination (phase IV), further exploitation of results (phase V), and evaluation (phase VI). In total, 20 key ethical, legal, and practical challenges that an ethical framework for the use of animals in research needs to address are identified and analyzed. Finally, we characterize the following four meta-challenges and opportunities associated with animal research ethics as a field: (1) moral pluralism, (2) the integration of views and positions outside the laboratory, (3) international plurality of conduct, standards, and legal norms, and (4) interdisciplinary education.</jats:p&gt