Abstract
Although “it is not possible for us to know what animals perceive” when they are exposed to “conditions or stimuli that would cause pain or discomfort to humans” and “we cannot know how nonhuman mammals may perceive pain,” it is very likely that the animals can perceive pain. We have obtained knowledge on the mechanisms of nociception through research using nonhuman mammals. There is no doubt that nonhuman mammals have very similar nociceptive pathways to those found in humans, and the pathways can transmit the nociceptive stimuli to the brain. The effects of analgesics (“pain”-killers) have been studied widely using animals, because researchers believe that the animals perceive pain. Thus, we do know that in the nonhuman mammals there are nociceptive pathways leading to the brain and that it is very likely that they perceive pain, although we cannot know whether or not they perceive pain.
Anaesthetists give anaesthesia and analgesics to neonates during and after surgery because they believe that neonates also feel pain despite the fact that anaesthetists cannot know whether or not neonates feel pain. Veterinary surgeons have no doubts about providing anaesthesia and analgesia for animals. Institutions, scientific and medical associations, and editors of journals require researchers to minimize “pain”, suffering and discomfort to animals, and thus nobody is allowed to do research without such efforts. Therefore, the statement that “using pain or the presumed ability to suffer as the yardstick for moral standing is not rational” cannot be supported, although neither is the claim that “humans and animals should be regarded as morally equal because of a shared ability to feel pain” justified on the basis of the concept that animals do perceive pain.
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