Animal Testing and Henry David Thoreau

About 26 million animals are used every year in the United States for the purposes of scientific and commercial testing. Through this testing scientists develop medical treatments, determine the toxicity of different medications, and check the safety of products before they are used by humans. This is an immoral issue because it fails all three of Immanuel Kant’s tests. In terms of “Universalizability”, we could not test and treat all animals like this because under this extreme circumstance a harmful substance could eliminate entire species of animals. This would disrupt the delicate balance of the affected ecosystem. Essentially Earth could not exist under these circumstances. Animal testing also fails the test of “Human Dignity,” it is cruel to experiment on animals. Even though this method of testing has shown to advance science, there are other methods of testing that could substitute animal testing. Third it fails the test of “Reciprocity,” personally I would not want people to perform the same kind of testing on me that they perform on animals. Tests may involve withholding of food and water, burning skin, blinding, and other miscellaneous invasive procedures.

Thoreau would advocate not using the products that had animal trials. He would also support the actions of Jacqueline Traide who subjected herself to tests, typically performed on animals, in a window front so people could see how animal testing is cruel and unfair. For ten hours she was subjected to the same tests and treatments as animals, for example she was force fed and given injections. She was technically risking her life which is the most you could contribute to fight injustice according to Thoreau. Sometimes it is not enough to just stick out an “arm or a leg,” you have to fully and actively seek change. There are a good number of people who forgo buying products that were tested on animals, yet there is still a lot of animal testing which leads to the conclusion that this is not enough to enact change.

In regards to animal testing, Thoreau’s plan could be effective. It could result in the eradication of animal testing or at least decrease the number of animals that are used in scientific and commercial testing. I could imagine myself exercising civil disobedience to the extent of refusing to buy products that were tested on animals. However I don’t think I could exercise the amount of civil disobedience that Thoreau would deem necessary, such as the treatment that Jacqueline Traide was subjected to. This is due to the fact that I can’t even get a vaccination at my yearly physical because I am extremely uncomfortable around needles and often feel faint and sick after having to use them.