Animal Quote by Nigel Warburton
““Farm animals aren't the only ones that suffer at the hands of human beings. Scientists use animals for their research. It's not just rats and guinea pigs – cats, dogs, monkeys and even chimpanzees can be found in laboratories, many of them suffering pain and distress as they are drugged or given electric shocks. Singer's test to see if any research is morally acceptable is this: would we be prepared to perform the same experiment on a brain-damaged human being? If not, he believes, it is not right to perform the experiment on an animal with a similar level of mental awareness. This is a tough test, and not many experiments would pass it. In practice, then, Singer is very strongly against using animals in research. The””
About This Quote
Source Book: Animal Liberation by Peter Singer, 1975
Moral consideration of animal research should match that of humans with comparable mental capacities, rejecting harmful experiments on sentient beings.
In simple terms: Treat animals with similar moral respect as humans.
Key Takeaway
Apply the brain‑damage test before any animal experiment.
Themes
ethics
animal rights
research
sentience
Mood
concerned
thoughtful
serious
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- laboratory testing
- policy making
- academic debate
- public advocacy
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
utilitarianism
Questions to Reflect On
- Is it ever justified to harm animals for potential human benefit?
- How do we define comparable mental awareness?
A Different Perspective
Human mental capacity varies; some argue differences justify use.
![“There could conceivably be circumstances in which an experiment on an animal stands to reduce suffering so much that it would be permissible to carry it out even if it involved harm to the animal... [even if] the animal were a human being.” quote by Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bf7/peter-singer-1001_animal_there-could-conceivably-be-circumstances_307252.jpg)
