How do we determine the value of a life? - Rebecca L. Walker
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To protect against a possible resurgence of smallpox, the US government is funding research to improve treatments and vaccines. And since it’s unethical to expose people to a highly lethal virus, labs are using monkeys as research subjects. But is it right to harm these animals to protect humanity from a potential threat? Rebecca L. Walker takes a look at this classic ethical dilemma.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Ethical issues like this one do not arise in a vacuum. We can reflect on the nature of moral status in general, but we should apply this conceptual resource to specific dilemmas by attending to the legal, historical, and institutional contexts at hand. To engage in this exercise, it helps to use concrete case studies. Several cases written for the National High School Ethics Bowl program by the Parr Center for Ethics at UNC-Chapel Hill do just that:
“Suffering in the Wild”
“The Status of Animals in Denmark”
“Nonhuman animals in biomedical research”
“Anti-Depressants for Mentally-Ill Animals”
These cases can be used as entry points for reflection or as anchors to keep your discussion of philosophical ideas grounded.
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Rebecca L. Walker
- Director Sharon Colman
- Narrator Alexandra Panzer
- Animator Sharon Colman
- Composer Miguel d'Oliveira
- Sound Designer Miguel d'Oliveira
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Producer Anna Bechtol
- Associate Producer Abdallah Ewis
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
- Fact-Checker Charles Wallace