Recovering The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique: The 3Rs and the Human Essence of Animal Research

The 3Rs, or the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal research,
are widely accepted as the best approach to maximizing high-quality science
while ensuring the highest standard of ethical consideration is applied in
regulating the use of animals in scientific procedures. This contrasts with the
muted scientific interest in the 3Rs when they were first proposed in The
Principles of Humane Experimental Technique (1959). Indeed, the relative
success of the 3Rs has done little to encourage engagement with their
original text, which remains little read and out of print. By adopting a historical
perspective, this article argues that one explanation for thisdisjunction may be found in another, more celebrated, event of 1959: C. P.
Snow’s Rede lecture on The Two Cultures. The moral outlook of The Principles
of Humane Experimental Technique derived from an earlier ethos
wherein humanistic and scientific values occupied a shared culture. While
the synthetic style of The Principles has hindered its readership, this article
concludes that there is value to recovering the notion that the humanities
and social sciences can contribute to the improvement of animal research.