By Guest Columnist Chris Randall

Researchers breed genetically mutated mice to develop cancerous tumors. Researchers then kill hundreds of these mice to conduct skin cancer research.

Despite the fact that the mice, as vertebrates, experience pain, the testing continues because the potential human benefit ‘outweighs’ the animal suffering. The belief that humans have superior rights to those of animals forms the basis for justifying animal testing.

Our treatment of animals may actually be inconsistent with other beliefs we may hold, namely, an idea of universal human rights.

The most common criterion to justify the disparity in rights between humans and animals is the human capacity for intelligence.

Yet the division between human and animal intelligence may not be so sharp.

Take, for example, chimpanzees, which use stone tools, communicate with physical gestures and can even show empathy. Chimpanzees can even learn to understand numbers and relational syntax in human language.

Given this example, it seems the spectrum of intelligence is hardly black and white but rather shades of gray. Based on this observation, I think it is clear a ‘capacity’ for intelligence is not uniquely human.

Now, suppose we could diagram these shades of gray, representing capacities for intelligence, on a line such that the distance between human intelligence and chimpanzee intelligence is x.

So, the distance of x gives us superior rights compared to chimpanzees, and hence, we are justified in doing as we wish to them.

This is where the argument may seem farfetched, but stay with me. Now, let’s say extraterrestrial beings visit earth. The capacity for intelligence of these beings far surpasses our own, and is much more than x.

Unfortunately for us, according to our own reasoning, these beings can justifiably do whatever they wish with us. If you think they shouldn’t, you’ll have to explain why x is sufficient for granting us superior rights over chimpanzees but does not allot superior rights to our interplanetary acquaintances.

If you don’t think it is ethical for extraterrestrials to mutate your genetic code so that your children develop cancerous tumors, thereby embracing the idea of human rights, you must grant certain rights to animals.

No longer is a certain capacity for intelligence, or x, an adequate criterion for favoring humans over animals, just as x is not sufficient for favoring extraterrestrials over humans.

It is simply not an excuse for eating, abusing or testing animals. It follows that we must extend our human right of freedom from intentionally imposed suffering to animals.

Obviously, this means we must end animal testing regardless of the benefits.