Looking at both sides of the argument, I see a much stronger case for the use of animals in experimentation, education, and overall human benefit. First of all, I think that there is way too much human reliance on animals to stop their use for human benefit. They provide us with commodities such as meat, safe medicines (indirectly), and a greater understanding of anatomy which allows millions of humans to be saved each year. Some life form has to "take one for the team", in a sense, so which one would you choose? Would you die for an animal? Also, some animal advocates say that the mammal is valued and that its properties are unique. This seems like a large contradiction in the sense of a denial of equality if you ask me. If the key issue is the animal's life, why do they put some life on a pedestal and leave others on the ground? Then where can you draw the line? Do fleas have the same inherent value as apes? To me, all animals are equally inferior since none of them can reason or express a logical thought. I see animals as very primitive as a whole. Also, since superiority depends obviously on differences in composure, some question which difference is most valuable. Some suggest that animals possess many characteristics that are superior to humans, such as smell and hearing. However, it is obviously reason that dominates over everything else since we humans are the only ones that possess it and are obviously the most advanced.

Both Kant and Mill express a number of extremely valid points, along with some weak arguments, in their philosophical views as applied to animal rights. Kant's inspection of reason is very logical as seen in his idea of a priori knowledge. Only humans could be capable of such a task since animals generally do respond to instinct. Evidence of this claim sets humans apart from animals through one of the most important arguments regarding the issue of animal rights: the ability to reason. However, despite the advantage of reason, rational beings should not be the only beings that are "ends in themselves". I view all beings as having an end in themselves, including animals. However, I see animal experimentation and sacrifice as a necessary means for human survival. Moving to Mill, his idea of pleasure and pain has possible strong points in that pain is attempted to be reduced and pleasure is attempted to be magnified. This idea seems like a universal good that can be easily accepted. However, this idea is only seen as good to those who receive pleasure. The animals, for example, lose in the case of animal experimentation since they receive the bulk of the pain. Also, the utilitarian idea that you must consider the pleasure and pain of everyone and then come to a conclusion seems too difficult and far-fetched. This concept should be restricted to considering only the pleasure and pain of those directly involved, which is difficult in this case since almost all people and animals are implicated into this dilemma.

Over the years, many differences have been proposed. Some theorize that rights depend upon the ability to possess interest, which in turn depend upon the ability to form verbal formulations, for example. If this were so, then it would rule out the possibility of rights for most animals, with maybe the exception of some primates. But, as Rodd states, "beings incapable of possessing genuine rights might possess moral status in virtue of other qualities, such as the capacity for suffering" (Rodd 4). So, it is easily seen how many views have accumulated over time. The task of determining animal rights has also come into the context of examining these inherent differences on qualitative and quantitative levels. We can say, for instance, that on a qualitative level, a cow is less intelligent than a human. But, we must then determine, on a quantitative level, how much more unintelligent that cow really is when compared to humans. And, once we decide that, we must

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