Alvin Juline
Assignment 2B Position Paper
Chimpanzees have long been a staple lab subject used in biomedical research. This is due to them and bonobos being extremely close relatives to our species, having branched off from a common ancestor around 5 to 7 million years ago. Their usage is a highly controversial topic, with polarizing opinions in either directions. The major stakeholders, for the most part animal rights activists and research institutions and companies, differ in their opinions on the ethicality and necessity of using chimpanzees in testing. We will examine the arguments and points made by the polar sides, as well as take on the position that invasive testing on chimpanzees is not ethical under any circumstances.
	Usage of chimpanzees and other great apes have been used in biomedical testing for centuries. This is due to the lineage they share with orangutans, gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees all coming from the same common ancestor of ours that branched off around 15 million years ago. Chimpanzees are extremely close cousins of ours among these, branching off around 7 million years ago. It is not surprising because of this that genetically and behaviorally they share many similarities to us. They are extremely intelligent and social creatures, displaying many signs of emotion and character that are familiar in human society. Our close genetic makeup also means that many of the diseases that we are prone to, they are as well, along with the cures and treatments to those diseases. These aspects of chimpanzees have made them some of the best candidates we have to test newly developed medicines and psychological procedures on before risking them on actual humans.
	Being good candidates for testing, the usage of chimpanzees in biomedical testing has been defended by those who have to gain from it. Chimpanzees and other intelligent animals have also been used in psychological testing, as many basic psychological principles have been proven to be the same or very similar despite belonging to different species. They have their reasons of practicality, whether they be right or not. Research institutes have used chimpanzees to test the effects of vaccines for diseases such as Ebola. Chimpanzees “first receive injections of the vaccine and withdrawals of blood to test their immune response and ensure that the vaccine is safe.” (Talman) With the HIV and AIDS scare of the 70s and 80s, extensive testing was also done using chimpanzees. We have now greatly furthered our understanding of the disease, how to minimize its risks as well as developed many treatments to minimize the symptoms and improve the standards of living for millions of the afflicted.
The research institutes as well as humanity benefit from research being done with chimpanzee testing. The researcher has made a great discovery and will win acclaim and more research grants, and humanity will benefit with a more efficient vaccine to combat a deadly disease. This research could be done on humans, but it is extremely expensive and prohibitive for an institute to go out of their way to find a willing test subject. Society also places more value on the life of a human, and a botched vaccine attempt that kills a human is seen as more tragic than one that fails on a chimpanzee or other animal used for testing.
	The opposite response comes largely from animal rights activities and humanitarians. They regard testing done on chimpanzees and other great apes to be morally callous. Many even argue that it is perilous to humans, as treating such intelligent creatures as chimpanzees with such disrespect may be a stepping stone to disregarding the value of human lives if it benefits certain people. Many experts of this group have made claims that the way chimpanzees are treated in test environments is far worse than most people might imagine. “Chimpanzees can live alone in cold, metal cages that are about the size of a closet for days, weeks, or even months on end…” (Humane Society, 2017)
	It is also argued by proponents of the Great Ape Protection Act that not just ethically, but practically, it does not make sense to use chimpanzees as research subjects. The bill claims that “the use of a combination of non-chimpanzee methods for the monoclonal antibody therapies may make research on the chimpanzees largely unnecessary.” (Virology, 2012) It is generally assumed by many that this alternative refers to testing done on lab mice and rats. One of the opposing arguments on this is that rats and mice, while not nearly as close relatives genealogically to humans as chimpanzees and other great apes are, are still extremely intelligent creatures. It would be hypocritical for us to allow testing done on one species but not a different intelligent one, in which case we might as well just allow research institutes to continue doing testing on the animals they are most experienced with. However, many also believe that testing on animals should just be banned altogether.
	My personal opinion at least is that if we are to take a position on the topic, there should absolutely be no compromise. Either research on chimpanzees is unethical, in which case it would not be acceptable to force them to essentially sacrifice the only life they have on this planet to benefit us, or it is ethical and so it makes no sense to try and restrict it. I personally value the lives of humans above all as I am one and so I can empathize with the specific kinds of dreams and aspirations and emotional connections that are unique to us. However, I also acknowledge that is sort of a self-centered and arrogant opinion. A chimpanzee might feel the same about its own species, and who is to say that my opinion is more valuable than theirs or theirs more important than mine? We do not have any right to make an assault against them, regardless of any potentially great benefits it might give us to do so. It might be much less efficient and a hassle to do this sort of research on humans, but at least humans can actually give consent.
















Bibliography
Author Unknown (2017). Fact Sheet: Chimpanzees Used in Research. Retrieved from http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/chimpanzee_research/qa/questions_answers.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Roscoe G. Bartlett (2011, August 10) Stop Using Chimps as Guinea Pigs. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/opinion/stop-using-chimps-as-guinea-pigs.html

William T. Talman (2012, August 8) The Benefits of Studying Chimpanzees. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-t-talman-md/benefits-of-studying-chimpanzees_b_1757640.html