Biomedical subjects

P Sandoe

Publications and source records attributed to P Sandoe.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Bioethics: limits to the interference with life.

The paper presents a review of various ethical considerations to which the application of modern biotechnology in breeding of domestic animals gives rise. The review is based on an automated literature search, covering papers and reports within agricultural bioethics published since 1992. The aim is to present the different points of view in a clear, unbiased manner. First the various concerns and viewpoints are presented. The concerns are divided into three main categories: animal welfare concerns, concerns about animal integrity and concerns relating to human health and environmental issues. Then follows a discussion of how to weigh potentially conflicting concerns against each other. The paper concludes with suggestions about how ethical issues should be handled in practice.

Animal Welfare↗

PubMed1999

Staying good while playing god--the ethics of breeding farm animals.

Modern genetics has given us some very efficient tools with which to alter the characteristics of animals. To date, farm animal breeders have mainly used these tools to increase productivity. Thus, each new generation of farm animals matures faster, yields more milk, or produces more meat or eggs, than the previous one. Despite these apparent benefits, modern farm animal breeding has had severe negative consequences, including effects on the quality of the animals' lives and biodiversity. The aim of this paper is to discuss the goals and consequences of farm animal breeding within an ethical context. First, a description of what has happened to broilers and dairy cattle as breeders have pursued the goal of ever more efficient production is given. Second, the ethical values that ought to underlie future breeding schemes are discussed. It is suggested that there are in fact two very different ethical approaches: the 'quality of life-based' approach and the 'preservationist' approach. A view combining elements from both approaches is advanced. Finally, an example is given of how it is possible, in practice, to pursue an ethically defensible breeding goal without compromising production efficiency.

Animal Welfare↗

PubMed1999

Quality of life--three competing views.

The aim of the present paper is to describe three different attempts, which have been made by philosophers, to define what quality of life is; and to spell out some of the difficulties that faces each definition. One, Perfectionism, focuses on the capacities that human beings possess: capacities for friendship, knowledge and creative activity, for instance. It says that the good life consists in the development and use of these capacities. Another account, the Preference Theory, urges that satisfying one's preferences, or desires, is what improves one's quality of life. And a third account, Hedonism, sees life-quality as consisting in the enjoyment of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. The paper describes and evaluates objections to each of these views, thereby displaying their weaknesses and strengths. Since no view comes out as the right one there is a choice to be made. At the end of the paper it is being discussed how well each of the views cohere with different methodologies used in quality of life research. Also it is suggested that consideration about what the research is to be used for are relevant.

Attitude to Health↗