"Those who experiment with operations or the use of drugs upon animals, or inoculate them with diseases, so as to be able to bring help to mankind with the results gained, must never quiet any misgivings they feel with the general reflection that their cruel proceedings aim at a valuable result. They must first have considered in each individual case whether there is a real necessity to force upon any animal this sacrifice for the sake of mankind. And they must take the most anxious care to mitigate as much as possible the pain inflicted. How much wrong is committed in scientific institutions through neglect of anaesthetics, which to save time or trouble are not administered! How much, too, through animals being subjected to torture merely to demonstrate to students generally known phenomena! By the very fact that animals have been subjected to experiments, and have by their pain won such valuable results for suffering humanity, a new and special relation of solidarity has been established between them and us. From that springs for each one of us a compulsion to do to every animal all the good we possibly can. By helping an insect when it is in difficulties, I am only attempting to cancel part of man's ever new debt to the animal world."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Albert Schweitzer, Civilization and Ethics, 3rd edition, London: Adam & Charles Black, 1946, p. 252.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Animal_testing
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Animal testing
31 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Animal testing →
Related Quotes
"Animals themselves cannot plead their cause, and those who plead it for them have no obvious financial or other selfi…"
"Animals can not disapprove, but they can complain and protest, at least until their vocal chords are cut to spare exp…"
"Last year a Dutch animal breeding centre sent me two chimpanzees as a gift. I killed one and cut its heart out. The o…"
"It’s very easy, for instance, to cure Alzheimer’s in mice. But those things don’t translate to humans."
"I should be writing a third paper on the Nerves, but I cannot proceed without making some experiments, which are so u…"
"In concluding these papers, I hope I may be permitted to offer a few words in favour of anatomy, as better adapted fo…"
"Nearly all modern techniques of social conditioning were first established with animal experiments. As were also the …"
"There will come a time when the world will look back to modern vivisection in the name of science as they now do to b…"
"To hold vivisection to be never justified is a hard belief. But so is its opposite. I believe it is never justified b…"
"I dislike the whole business of experiments on animals, unless there's some very good and altogether exceptional reas…"