Jennifer Cunningham

Animal-to-human organ transplants are ethical because a human life is more important than the life of an animal, asserts Jennifer Cunningham in the following viewpoint. Human interests should come before those of animals, she contends; if an animal’s organ is needed to save a life, then it should be used. Moreover, regulations that restrict animal-to-human transplants unless the procedure will produce a clear benefit for humans are ill advised, Cunningham argues, because many of the operation’s benefits are not immediately apparent. Cunningham is a regular contributor to Living Marxism, a monthly British magazine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What percentage of genes are shared between chimpanzees and humans, according to the author?
2. According to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, why are animal-to-human organ transplants unethical?
3. In Cunningham’s...