Transcending Species Boundaries : On the Moral Status of Human-Nonhuman-Animal Chimeras
- Author:
- Laraia, Michelle
- Published:
- [University Park, Pennsylvania] : Pennsylvania State University, 2021.
- Physical Description:
- 1 electronic document
- Additional Creators:
- Mekel, Michele L. and Schreyer Honors College
Access Online
- honors.libraries.psu.edu , Connect to this object online.
- Restrictions on Access:
- Open Access.
- Summary:
- While myriad benefits may be associated with the potential creation of human-nonhuman-animal chimeras (HNHCs) for research purposes, development of and experimentation on such beings triggers numerous ethical concerns. Many trepidations stem from speciesism. However, there are legitimate concerns that call for the assessment and assignment of appropriate moral status. Through this thesis, I argue that the current speciesist reservation of highest-level moral status for humans alone violates the wellbeing protections due HNHCs, as well as other nonhuman animals. In proposing a solution to this ethical gap, I offer a characteristic-based pyramid framework to evaluate and designate various levels of moral status--replacing the current dichotomous approach. This model also incorporates an analysis and appraisal of Type I (i.e., false positive) and Type II (i.e., false negative) errors, and universally defaults, on ethical grounds, to Type I errors. By adopting and applying the proposed model, we can ethically scrutinize the permissibility of developing HNHCs and their use in research.
- Other Subject(s):
- Genre(s):
- Dissertation Note:
- B.S. Pennsylvania State University 2021.
- Technical Details:
- The full text of the dissertation is available as an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file ; Adobe Acrobat Reader required to view the file.
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