HUMANS AND NON-HUMANS A Spectrum “ Western ” paradigm emphasizes gulf between humans and animals ■ Religious traditions: humans as “the crown of creation”,

Slides:

Advertisements

Similar presentations

Introduction to Environmental Engineering Dr. Glass Environmental Ethics.

Advertisements

Introduction to Ethics Lecture 19 Regan & The Case for Animal Rights

Review for Final Exam. Exam Format multiple choice questions multiple choice questions Three essay questions from a choice of five Three essay.

(afternoon class) Answer ONE of the following questions: 1)What qualities do you think are necessary to be a “person”? 2) Do you think a chimpanzee would.

Do animals have rights?. Approaches to animal rights (1) Aristotle believed that animals existed only to provide for human needs. They were not able to.

Environmental Ethics. Definitions Moral Agents Those who have the freedom and rational capacity to be responsible for choices Those capable of moral reflection.

Our Duties to Animals Animal Liberation: All Animals Are Equal —Peter Singer  A prejudice or bias toward the interests of members of one’s own species.

Animal Welfare and Animal Rights Based on Kernohan, A. (2012). Environmental ethics: An interactive introduction. Buffalo, NY: Broadview Press, Chapters.

The Moral Status of Animals Kant, Singer, Steinbock.

Ethics of Whaling In search of the right thing to do.

The Case for Animals Singer’s Utilitarian Argument  What is morally relevant?  What makes someone/somethi ng worthy of moral consideration?  What.

Do Animals Have Rights? Regan vs. Warren. Steve Jobs Joe Blow BDO / Chimp Dolphin Dog Tuna Clam Equal inherent value Equal right to be treated with respect.

1 II Animal Rights. 2 Note: Cohen’s paper was published in the New England Journal of Medicine; his primary audience consisted of doctors, not philosophers.

The Moral Status of the Non- Human World: Singer and Cohen.

Philosophy 220 The Moral Status of the Non-Human World: Cohen and Warren.

Animal Rights Broad View - Animals have the same moral worth that humans have, and the moral obligations we have to animals are the same that we have.

Animals singer’s arguments. consciousness The Consciousness Account: Humans have special value because they alone are conscious. Something is conscious.

Lawrence M. Hinman, Ph.D. Director, The Values Institute University of San Diego Living Together with Animals.

Environmental Ethics. Definitions Moral Agents –Those who have the freedom and rational capacity to be responsible for choices –Those capable of moral.

1 I I Animal Rights. 2 Singer’s Project Singer argues we should extend to other species the “basic principle of equality” that most of us recognize should.

Module 4: Introduction to Animal Welfare Ethics Concepts in Animal Welfare © 2012 Module 4: Introduction to Animal Welfare Ethics Concepts in Animal Welfare.

The treatment of animals Michael Lacewing

Deontological ethics. What is the point of departure? Each human beings should be treated as an end. Certain acts (lying, breaking promises, killing...)

Worldviews can be narrow or broad

Introduction to Ethics Lecture 19 Regan & The Case for Animal Rights By David Kelsey.

ANIMAL WELFARE and/or ANIMAL RIGHTS. TOM REGAN > Philosopher, Activist.

Chapter Eleven: Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics

24 th November To gather a brief outline of the history of animal rights and welfare To begin to consider the moral status of animals.

Why Philosophy?. Philosophy: A study of the processes governing thought and conduct. A system of principles for the conduct of life. A study of human.

Environmental Ethics. Ethics Ethics: the study of good and bad, right and wrong – The set of moral principles or values held by a person or society that.

The Moral Status of the Non-Human World Baxter and Taylor

Module 4: Introduction to Animal Welfare Ethics Concepts in Animal Welfare © 2012 Module 4: Introduction to Animal Welfare Ethics Concepts in Animal Welfare.

1 Applied Ethics Section 3 Animal Ethics. 2 History Animal ethics was pioneered in the ancient world & resurfaced in the humanitarian movement of the.

Unit Eight Seminar Animal Rights.  Let’s keep Reviewing  Having a problem completing a unit? Contact me to discuss extension (before the last minute!)

Peter Singer: “All Animals are Equal ”

Introduction to Ethics Lecture 20 Cohen & The Case for the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research By David Kelsey.

Traditional Ethical Theories. Reminder Optional Tutorial Monday, February 25, 1-1:50 Room M122.

Marjukka Laakso Environmental ethics Environment = everything around humans which is not strictly man-made (wild nature, fields, cities, ditches)

From Last Time The good will is the only good thing in an ‘unqualified way” Acting from duty vs. acting in accord with duty Categorical vs. hypothetical.

Animal Rights Are you a speciesist?. Animal Rights in the News.

Chapter Eleven: Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics Review Applying Ethics: A Text with Readings (10 th ed.) Julie C. Van Camp, Jeffrey Olen, Vincent.

Animals and Persons. Ethical status for animals Kantian and utilitarian ethics traditionally extended to all people, but only people Kant: all rational.

1 III Animal Rights. 2 Background This paper is a condensed version of the central argument presented in Regan’s 1983 book, The Case for Animal Rights.

Unit Eight Seminar Animal Rights. Old Business!  Welcome Back! Only one seminar remaining!  Unit 7 Papers.

AS Ethics Utilitarianism Title: - Preference Utilitarianism To begin… What is meant by preference? L/O: To understand Preference Utilitarianism.

MODERN UTILITARIANISM AND GENETIC ENGINEERING IS IT WRONG TO INTERFERE WITH NATURE? CAN WE JUSTIFY THE SACRIFICE OF A FEW LIVES TO SAVE MANY? DO ANIMALS.

A Fast Introduction to Environmental Ethics Andrea Woody Department of Philosophy February 2012.

Is Weeding Defensible? Moral Consideration for Crabgrass John Hainze Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability Seattle University.

Philosophical approaches to animal ethics

Humanist perspective: Animal welfare

Michael Lacewing Eating animals Michael Lacewing © Michael Lacewing.

PHILOSOPHICAL PRINCIPLES AND PERSPECTIVES

Animals and Persons.

Scand-LAS 2017, Copenhagen Peter Singer,

Animal Rights and Animal Ethics

On Whiteboards: Do animals have any moral status (should they be considered when making moral decisions)? Whether you answered yes or no, say why. On what.

Do animals have rights?.

Lecture 08: A Brief Summary

All animals are equal.

Lecture 09: A Brief Summary

Should Animals Have Rights?

Kant’s view on animals is ‘anthropocentric’ in that it is based on a sharp distinction between humans and non-human animals. According to Kant, only.

Animal ethics II William Sin 2012.

Kat Angelini & Miranda Chapman

Animal Suffering and Rights

All Animals are Created Equal

Kant and Regan.

What should be protected and why?

Presentation transcript:

HUMANS AND NON-HUMANS A Spectrum

“ Western ” paradigm emphasizes gulf between humans and animals ■ Religious traditions: humans as “the crown of creation”, e.g. Judaism, Christianity, Islam. ■ Secular traditions: humans as unique autonomous, rational, moral. technological language users e.g. Aristotle, Kant. ■ “Evolutionary ethics”: humans as “the crown of evolution”, e.g. Huxley (but not Darwin!)

Ecological perspective: fate of humans is bound up with fate of the rest of nature. ■ Midgley: natural human affinity towards other animals. ■ Norton: scientific perspective implies harmony with nature. ■ Traditional societies e.g. Maaori: all living things are related, as descendents of Tane.

■ Animal liberation: we have duties to all animals, and their interests are (nearly) always equal to those of Humans. (Singer) ■ Biocentric egalitarianism: we have duties to all living things. (Taylor) ■ Nonanthropocentric environmental ethics: we ought to pursue environmental justice because all species are equal. (Sterba)

■ We have duties to at least some “environmental objects” (Stone). ■ We have (largely unspecified) duties to “the land”. (Callicott, Leopold) ■ We have duties to inanimate objects e.g. buildings, works of art.

Anthropocentrism ■ Concept All and only human beings have moral standing; or, the appropriate criterion of moral standing is membership in Homo sapiens.

Applications ■ We have duties concerning animals (as we do concerning works of art or cars) but not to animals. ► We may treat animals as we wish, except where the interests of others are affected, eg dog owners, recreational hunters, bird watchers (Baxter) ► We ought not to mistreat animals because if we do we are likely to become the kind of person who mistreats humans (Aquinas, Kant).

■ “Weak anthropocentrism” - the human interest requires a respect for natural systems (Norton). ► Sustainability - obligations to future generations. ► Personal spiritual development - Buddhist monks, Jains, Ghandi.

Sentience Based Ethics ■ Concept All and only sentient beings have moral standing. ► Sentience: ability to have sensations, to experience pleasure and pain.

Key Philosophical Issues ■ What counts as having a sensation? ► How do we know that an animal is having a sensation? ► Is “sensation” talk just an inference from behaviour? ■ Can we talk about anything except behaviour? ► Is there anything except behaviour?

Applications  Descartes (and/or his followers): animals are non-sentient “machines” and so have no moral standing. ► Bentham, Singer: most animals are sentient, and it is wrong to cause them to suffer except where that would be the only way to create the best outcome.

UTILITARIANISM Singer  Utilitarianism requires that all interests (or preferences) be taken equally into account. ► “Speciesism” - ignoring the interests of a being just because it belongs to another species - is wrong, just like racism and sexism.

■ All sentient beings have an equal interest in avoiding suffering, e.g. farming of animals inflicts suffering – and also denies food to starving people. ► We do not need (e.g.) to eat animal products. ► So we ought (e.g.) to become vegetarians.

■ Similar argument against painful use of animals, e.g. ► research ► product testing ► sport and entertainment.

■ Is the analogy with racism and sexism valid? ■ Are the consequences the ONLY thing that matters, morally? ■ How do we know that animals suffer? ■ Isn't “sentientism” just as bad a form of discrimination as speciesism?

 Would PAINLESS farming and killing of animals be wrong?  What difference will MY actions make to animals - or to starving people?  Is “moral atomism” adequate to deal with environmental issues?

Sentience Based Ethics ■ Concept: All and only beings with specific properties have moral standing.

Applications  Regan: subjects of a life.  MA Warren, Tooley: self-concept.  Huxley: language.

RIGHTS Regan ■ All beings with certain properties are PERSONS, regardless of race, sex or species. ■ Many non-humans are persons e.g. gods, aliens (ET?), some animals - and e.g. irreversibly comatose humans are not. ■ All persons have inherent value and not mere instrumental value.

■ All inherently valuable beings have rights: ► independently of consequences ► regardless of how many people recognize their rights.

■ Rights may not be violated in order to bring about good consequences. ► (e.g.) Killing animals for food violates their rights. ■ So we ought (e.g.) to become vegetarians (etc.).

SOME QUESTIONS FOR REGAN ■ Is the analogy with racism and sexism valid? ■ Isn't “personism” just as bad a form of discrimination as speciesism? ■ Why should we accept Regan's account of personhood?

■ How do we know that animals have the properties of persons? ■ Is “moral atomism” adequate to deal with environmental issues?

RIGHTS FOR WHAT? Humans? Selected sentient beings? All sentient beings? All living beings? Individual natural objects? Places? Works of art? Corporations? Cultures, peoples, nations? Species? Planets? The universe? Everything?