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Should We Allow Curiosity to Kill the Cat
The children and the scientists were engaged in the same pursuit---satisfying their curiosity about how certain
creatures move. The child's motive is selfish , while the scientist is trained and paid by society to satisfy
our collective inquisitive tendencies and add to the sum of human knowledge.
Whose motives are most worthy---those of the child or the scientist? The child's methods might be unscientific,
but the curiosity that drives him or her is the most valuable asset a researcher can possess and is in the best
traditions of pure science. Scientists may have similar motives, but they can also be influenced by the need to
advance a career, secure grants and develop a reputation in a field of study.
Science allows us to adopt dual standards in our attitude to animal welfare. We pay qualified researchers to
conduct animal experiments that would land the rest of us in jail if we performed them on the family pet.
Society sets limits on how animals can be treated in medical or agricultural research , based on the delicate
balance between the practical value of the information sought and the pain and suffering inflicted. In my
opinion that's reasonable, but killing or mutilating animals for pure intellectual curiosity is not.
If we are to develop a relationship with our environment that will allow us to save it from destruction,
we must recognise that other forms of life did not evolve merely for our benefit . I believe that biological
and environmental ethics should be included in all biological science courses, in the same way that ethics are
an integral part of medical courses.Biologists should be trained to ask themselves , on our behalf , whether
the satisfaction of our collective curiosity justifies killing or mutilating an animal.
Most important , I think all scientific research papers should carry a short preface that justifies the research,
in language that the average person can understand. This preface should balance the intellectual and the physical
benefits to humanity against the effects on the environment and the animals used. If experiments are being conducted
on our behalf , we should be aware of the purpose and the price. This would go a long way towards dispelling fears that
scientists are not accountable for their actions. It would also strengthen a belief within the scientific community
that its work should be for the benefit of all life on this planet , not just humans.
From Australian Geographic , January - March 1995 .
Approximately 750 words.
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