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THE father of the modern animal rights movement has endorsed the use
of monkeys in research by an Oxford professor at the centre of
anti-vivisection protests.
Peter Singer, who is widely admired by activists for writing the
seminal work on animal rights, says giving the primates Parkinson's
disease was "justifiable" because of the benefits it subsequently
brought to thousands of human patients.
His comments will come as a blow to the protest group SPEAK, which is
trying to halt construction of a new animal research laboratory at
Oxford.
In a documentary to be screened tomorrow on BBC2 Singer, a professor
of philosophy, comes face to face with Tipu Aziz, an Oxford
neurosurgeon whose research involving monkeys has helped to develop
pioneering ways of treating Parkinson's disease.
...
"To date 40,000 people have been made better with this, and worldwide
at the time I would guess only 100 monkeys were used at a few
laboratories."
Singer replies: "Well, I think if you put a case like that, clearly I
would have to agree that was a justifiable experiment.
"I do not think you should reproach yourself for doing it, provided
I take it you are the expert in this, not me that there was no other
way of discovering this knowledge.
"I could see that as justifiable research."
Singer, a former Oxford lecturer now working in America and Australia,
paved the way for recent animal rights activism with his book Animal
Liberation, now considered the bible of the movement.
...
Monkeys, Rats and Me: Animal Testing is on BBC2 tomorrow at 9pm
--
full story:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...471990,00.html
of monkeys in research by an Oxford professor at the centre of
anti-vivisection protests.
Peter Singer, who is widely admired by activists for writing the
seminal work on animal rights, says giving the primates Parkinson's
disease was "justifiable" because of the benefits it subsequently
brought to thousands of human patients.
His comments will come as a blow to the protest group SPEAK, which is
trying to halt construction of a new animal research laboratory at
Oxford.
In a documentary to be screened tomorrow on BBC2 Singer, a professor
of philosophy, comes face to face with Tipu Aziz, an Oxford
neurosurgeon whose research involving monkeys has helped to develop
pioneering ways of treating Parkinson's disease.
...
"To date 40,000 people have been made better with this, and worldwide
at the time I would guess only 100 monkeys were used at a few
laboratories."
Singer replies: "Well, I think if you put a case like that, clearly I
would have to agree that was a justifiable experiment.
"I do not think you should reproach yourself for doing it, provided
I take it you are the expert in this, not me that there was no other
way of discovering this knowledge.
"I could see that as justifiable research."
Singer, a former Oxford lecturer now working in America and Australia,
paved the way for recent animal rights activism with his book Animal
Liberation, now considered the bible of the movement.
...
Monkeys, Rats and Me: Animal Testing is on BBC2 tomorrow at 9pm
--
full story:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...471990,00.html