Good Animal Testing For Cosmetics Essay Example

For years there has been widely held controversy over the use of animals for testing. Some people hold the belief that it is unethical to use animals, while others take a more utilitarian viewpoint and see the use of animals as a way to prevent human paid or death. While I see no ethical dilemma in using animals for meat when they are properly raised, using them for cosmetic experimentation purposes violates basic morality. Peter Singer asserts, “The suffering we inflict on the animals while they are alive is perhaps an even clearer indication of our speciesism than the fact that we are prepared to kill them.” (1989). The use of animals for cosmetic testing is unnecessary torture, and the fact that we generally ignore that reality is unsettling.
Another issue with using animals for cosmetic testing is the conditions in which the animals must live. “We could argue that it is just because they can feel pain that sentient beings have a right not to suffer, or at least not to suffer needlessly.” (MacKinnon 2011). Not only are animals used in cosmetic testing forced to suffer living in small cages, with no freedom, they are also forced to suffer for what is essentially a line of products that are mostly optional for use. No sentient being should be forced to live in a cage its entire life. Animals are sentient beings, and they have a right to live a life free from use for cosmetic testing.

Questions for classmates:

Most cosmetics are optional purchases, such as lipstick and eye shadow. It is easy to make the argument against using animals for testing these kinds of cosmetics. theHow do you feel about animal testing for more necessary cosmetics, such as soap and shampoo.
Some kind of testing must be done on cosmetics before they are marketed to the general public. Is testing on humans ethical? Take into consideration that those who will be used for testing are probably coming from a lower socio-economic status, and in some countries may be children.

References

MacKinnon, B. (2011). Ethics and public policy: Contemporary issues. Wellington [N.Z.: Victoria University Press.
Singer, P. (1989). All Animals are Equal. Retrieved April 8, 2015. from http://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/phil1200,Spr07/singer.pdf