KANTIAN ETHICS
Immanuel Kant was a German Philosopher who inspired many aspects of modern philosophy and ethics. Kant believed that there were three rules when deciding whether an act was moral, He called these rules "formulations":
1. First Formulation
2. Second Formulation
3. Third Formulation
Animal Testing: Kantian Ethics:
If we apply Kantian Ethics to the moral issue surrounding animals testing and use his three formulations we can see a very complex answer starting to develop.
If we look solely on the first formulation we can see that the moral answer we get depends on your starting point when considering the question and the appropriate maxim you use. For example, do your religious beliefs include an acceptance of the spiritual awareness of the animals under test? Does a primate,with all its social awareness and understanding of the difference between right and wrong, therefore possess what we, in human terms, call a "soul"? If, for example we use the maxim "do not hurt any living being," we can universalise this and that would make the world a happier place, so in that respect we can see that Kant believes it is an immoral action. However if we use the maxim "Protect the human race," which can also be universalised as we all would rather not die due to terrorist attacks or car crashes, we can see that the issue becomes more complicated. Using this maxim, animal testing is justified as protecting the human race. However using the first maxim, it is not a justifiable act. Despite this issue, Kant's second formulation gives us a definite answer. The second formulation states that we should never use someone to achieve happiness or pleasure for ourselves. Animal testing goes against this formulation as the only reason we test on animals is so we can be sure that the drug or cosmetic we are releasing onto the market will not wipeout an entire race of humans. This use of animal testing is only for the pleasure and well being of us humans, so Kant would say it is an immoral thing to do.
Immanuel Kant was a German Philosopher who inspired many aspects of modern philosophy and ethics. Kant believed that there were three rules when deciding whether an act was moral, He called these rules "formulations":
1. First Formulation
- Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.
- This means that if we take a principal e.g. Do not steal, and we make everyone in the world obey, would the world function appropriately as a society?
2. Second Formulation
- I should treat other people 'as ends, and never as a means to an end only'.
- I should never use people without considering their autonomy
- This means that we should never use someone as a way to achieve our own goals as other people may have their own aspirations and by using them to fulfil your dreams you may hinder their ability to fulfil theirs.
3. Third Formulation
- Kant says that I should act as if I am one of the law-makers in the Kingdom of Ends
- The Kingdoms of Ends is an imagined Utopian place where everyone is treated with respect.
- This is more of a summary of formulations 1 and 2. It says that I can base an action on whether I can universalise the action and enforce it in an Utopian kingdom.
Animal Testing: Kantian Ethics:
If we apply Kantian Ethics to the moral issue surrounding animals testing and use his three formulations we can see a very complex answer starting to develop.
If we look solely on the first formulation we can see that the moral answer we get depends on your starting point when considering the question and the appropriate maxim you use. For example, do your religious beliefs include an acceptance of the spiritual awareness of the animals under test? Does a primate,with all its social awareness and understanding of the difference between right and wrong, therefore possess what we, in human terms, call a "soul"? If, for example we use the maxim "do not hurt any living being," we can universalise this and that would make the world a happier place, so in that respect we can see that Kant believes it is an immoral action. However if we use the maxim "Protect the human race," which can also be universalised as we all would rather not die due to terrorist attacks or car crashes, we can see that the issue becomes more complicated. Using this maxim, animal testing is justified as protecting the human race. However using the first maxim, it is not a justifiable act. Despite this issue, Kant's second formulation gives us a definite answer. The second formulation states that we should never use someone to achieve happiness or pleasure for ourselves. Animal testing goes against this formulation as the only reason we test on animals is so we can be sure that the drug or cosmetic we are releasing onto the market will not wipeout an entire race of humans. This use of animal testing is only for the pleasure and well being of us humans, so Kant would say it is an immoral thing to do.