THE CONCEPT OF INTEGRITY - ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE ETHICAL DISCUSSION ON BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ANIMALS

In the debate on the ethics of genetic modification of animals most of the attention goes to the consequences genetic interventions have for the health and welfare of animals. However, in the Netherlands increasingly other normative concepts like 'integrity' are suggested as relevant for the ethical assessment of proposals for genetic modification. In this article it is argued that 'integrity' is a meaningful concept at least when the dimension and the subject of integrity are clearly defined. Integrity is also an ethically significant concept, as it brings the issue of human moral responsibility for animals clearly into focus. Three arguments are given why the implications of the concepts for ethical research and moral reasoning on biotechnology with animals differ from the implications of concepts like welfare. However, the normative and practical scope and strength of the concept has yet to be made out by further research and discussion.