A Critical Assessment of Varner's Proposal for Consensus and Convergence in the Biomedical Research Debate

In "The Prospects for Consensus and Convergence in the Animal Rights Debate" Gary E. Varner altempts to provide a direction for reconciliation between utilitarian and inherent value views on the subject of biomedical research testing on nonhuman animals. 1 These two views are opposed because the former allows some testing and the latter does not. In this paper I will argue that Varner's prospect fails because its implications are in too strong ofan opposition to the inherent value view. First, I will sketch those basics of Singer's and Regan's views that are relevant to our discussion. Second, I will critically analyze the attempt by Gary Varner to open the way for convergence between the utilitarian and the inherent value views. I will then critically analyze a principle used by Regan, the "worseoff' principle. Finally, out of these analyses I will suggest a new direction for exploration of the possibility of rapprochement between the utilitarian and inherent value views. II