--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Surely it should be a matter of moral…" description: "\"Surely it should be a matter of moral responsibility that we humans, different from other animals mainly by virtue of our more highly developed intelle..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/jane-goodall-950_animal_surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-re_1833213.jpg" --- # Surely it should be a matter of moral responsibility that… ![“Surely it should be a matter of moral responsibility that we humans, different from other animals mainly by virtue of our more highly developed intellect and, with it, our greater capacity for understanding and compassion, ensure that medical progress slowly detaches its roots from the manure of…” quote by Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/jane-goodall-950_animal_surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-re_1833213.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/jane-goodall-950_animal_surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-re_1833213.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/jane-goodall-950_animal_surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-re_1833213.jpg) > “Surely it should be a matter of moral responsibility that we humans, different from other animals mainly by virtue of our more highly developed intellect and, with it, our greater capacity for understanding and compassion, ensure that medical progress slowly detaches its roots from the manure of non-human animal suffering and despair.” [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human intellect obliges us to reduce animal suffering in medical research. **In simple terms:** Moral duty to lessen animal pain. Key Takeaway Promote humane alternatives. Themes ethics science compassion Mood concerned hopeful Type advocacy philosophical When to use this quote - research labs - policy making - educational campaigns - product development Key Concepts animal rights medical progress intellectual responsibility Questions to Reflect On - Can we fully replace animal testing? - What incentives drive humane research? A Different Perspective Scientific breakthroughs may still rely on animal models. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animal suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-suffering/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect/) [Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-responsibility/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Understanding and compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding-and-compassion/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [How much better the world would be if we all gave gifts of understanding, and compassion, of service, and friendship, of kindness and gentleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/how-much-better-the-world-would-be-if-we-all-gave-gifts-of/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [We can bring a heart of understanding and compassion to a world that needs it so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/we-can-bring-a-heart-of-understanding-and-compassion-to-a-world-that/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [In all practices and traditions of freedom, we find the heart's task to be quite simple. Life offers us just what it offers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/in-all-practices-and-traditions-of-freedom-we-find-the-heart-s-task/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [Acknowledgement: Understanding and compassion for others and their suffering is the next step. Put yourself in the shoes of people who don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-bryant/acknowledgement-understanding-and-compassion-for-others-and-their/) [Joy Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-bryant/) > [By taking a look at your anger it can be transformed into the kind of energy that you need - understanding and compassion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/by-taking-a-look-at-your-anger-it-can-be-transformed-into-the-kind-of/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [If we take the time to look deeply, we see that understanding and compassion arise from suffering. Understanding is the understanding of suffering, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/if-we-take-the-time-to-look-deeply-we-see-that-understanding-and/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion. And love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/let-us-develop-respect-for-all-living-things-let-us-try-to-replace/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It's our responsibility as humans to take care of each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-crosby/it-s-our-responsibility-as-humans-to-take-care-of-each-other/) Caitlin Crosby > [“responsibility…most humans create situations where if they were at fault, they would have room to place blame on another element of the equation. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-butler/responsibility-most-humans-create-situations-where-if-they-were-at/) [Jamie Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-butler/) > [I feel strongly that we would all be a lot better off if we were more conscious of how we are treating our earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/i-feel-strongly-that-we-would-all-be-a-lot-better-off-if-we-were-more/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [“And if we dare to look into those eyes, then we shall feel their suffering in our hearts. More and more people have seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/and-if-we-dare-to-look-into-those-eyes-then-we-shall-feel-their/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [You've had to struggle, you've had to fight To keep understanding and compassion in sight You could be laughing at me, you've got the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-browne/you-ve-had-to-struggle-you-ve-had-to-fight-to-keep-understanding-and/) [Jackson Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-browne/) > [The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of others, to put ourselves "inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/the-essence-of-love-and-compassion-is-understanding-the-ability-to/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [ Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to \[grow and\] become successful. For that reason it makes sense to be grateful… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/sometimes-adversity-is-what-you-need-to-face-in-order-to-grow-and/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [Scientists tell us that we have enough technology to save our planet. . . . Yet we don't take advantage of this new technology.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/scientists-tell-us-that-we-have-enough-technology-to-save-our-planet/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) ## More by Jane Goodall > [The voice of the natural world would be, "Could you please give us space and leave us alone to get along with our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/the-voice-of-the-natural-world-would-be-could-you-please-give-us/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [What makes us human, I think, is an ability to ask questions, a consequence of our sophisticated spoken language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/what-makes-us-human-i-think-is-an-ability-to-ask-questions-a/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-been-living-for-hundreds-of/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I did this book 'Harvest for Hope,' and I learned so much about food. And one thing I learned is that we have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-did-this-book-harvest-for-hope-and-i-learned-so-much-about-food-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [From my perspective, I absolutely believe in a greater spiritual power, far greater than I am, from which I have derived strength in moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/from-my-perspective-i-absolutely-believe-in-a-greater-spiritual-power/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [We are always talking about how we can get more environmental and humanitarian education. It is about listening to the voice of young people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-are-always-talking-about-how-we-can-get-more-environmental-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Some humans are mathematicians-others aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/some-humans-are-mathematicians-others-aren-t/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [We started off with physical evolution and got our form. Then we somehow developed language, which meant cultural evolution could race so we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-started-off-with-physical-evolution-and-got-our-form-then-we/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It was both fascinating and appalling to learn that chimpanzees were capable of hostile and territorial behavior that was not unlike certain forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-was-both-fascinating-and-appalling-to-learn-that-chimpanzees-were/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I wanted to talk to the animals like Dr. Dolittle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-wanted-to-talk-to-the-animals-like-dr-dolittle/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Some people say, therefore, that violence and war are inevitable. I say rubbish: Our brains are fully capable of controlling instinctive behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/some-people-say-therefore-that-violence-and-war-are-inevitable-i-say/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It's been proven by quite a few studies that plants are good for our psychological development. If you green an area, the rate of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-s-been-proven-by-quite-a-few-studies-that-plants-are-good-for-our/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Having respect for animals makes us better humans..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/having-respect-for-animals-makes-us-better-humans/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [If we kill off the wild, then we are killing a part of our souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/if-we-kill-off-the-wild-then-we-are-killing-a-part-of-our-souls/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [“We still have a long way to go. But we are moving in the right direction. If only we can overcome cruelty, to human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-still-have-a-long-way-to-go-but-we-are-moving-in-the-right/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) [Explore all 321 Jane Goodall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) Mak\_786 > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Surely it should be a matter of moral responsibility that we humans, different from other animals mainly by virtue of our more highly developed intellect and, with it, our greater capacity for understanding and compassion, ensure that medical progress slowly detaches its roots from the manure of non-human animal suffering and despair.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Goodall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-responsibility-that-we-humans/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-responsibility-that-we-humans/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/jane-goodall-950_animal_surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-re_1833213.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/jane-goodall-950_animal_surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-re_1833213.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/jane-goodall-950_animal_surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-re_1833213.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Surely it should be a matter of moral responsibility that we humans, different from other animals mainly by…” — Jane Goodall", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jane Goodall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Surely it should be a matter...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-responsibility-that-we-humans/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/surely-it-should-be-a-matter-of-moral-responsibility-that-we-humans/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```