A scientist who is also a human being cannot rest while knowledge which might be used to reduce suffering rests on the shelf.
My own experience of over 60 years in biomedical research amply demonstrated that without the use of animals and of human beings, it would have been impossible to acquire the important knowledge needed to prevent much suffering and premature death not only among humans but also among [other] animals.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the crucial role of animal and human research in advancing medical knowledge and preventing suffering.
Albert Sabin highlights his extensive experience in biomedical research, asserting that the use of animals and humans has been essential to gaining significant insights that have ultimately helped save lives and alleviate suffering. He suggests that without such research, crucial medical advancements would not have been possible, underscoring the ethical importance of medical experimentation in improving health outcomes for all living beings.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a conference on medical ethics to illustrate the importance of animal research.
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Without any doubt, the regularity which astronomy shows us in the movements of the comets takes place in all phenomena. The trajectory of a simple molecule of air or vapour is regulated in a manner as certain as that of the planetary orbits; the only difference between them is that which is contributed by our ignorance. Probability is relative in part to this ignorance, and in part to our knowledge.
Early experience shapes the structure and function of the brain. This reveals the fundamental way in which gene expression is determined by experience.
It now appears that the way the universe began can indeed be determined, using imaginary time.
We keep, in science, getting a more and more sophisticated view of our essential ignorance.
Thus science must begin with myths, and with the criticism of myths; neither with the collection of observations, nor with the invention of experiments, but with the critical discussion of myths, and of magical techniques and practices.
This field is not necessarily glamorous, nor does it often produce immediate results, but it seeks to increase our basic understanding of living processes.