Naturalness: Beyond animal welfare
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 15 (2):171-186 (2002)
| Abstract | There is an ongoing debate in animalethics on the meaning and scope of animalwelfare. In certain broader views, leading anatural life through the development of naturalcapabilities is also headed under the conceptof animal welfare. I argue that a concern forthe development of natural capabilities of ananimal such as expressed when living freelyshould be distinguished from the preservationof the naturalness of its behavior andappearance. However, it is not always clearwhere a plea for natural living changes overinto a plea for the preservation of theirnaturalness or wildness. In the first part ofthis article, I examine to what extent theconcerns for natural living meet ``theexperience requirement.'' I conclude that someof these concerns go beyond welfare. In thesecond part of the article. I ask whether wehave moral reasons to respect concernsfor the naturalness of an animal's living thattranscend its welfare. I argue that the moralrelevance of such considerations can be graspedwhen we see animals as entities bearingnon-moral intrinsic values. In my view the``natural'' appearance and behavior of an animalmay embody intrinsic values. Caring for ananimal's naturalness should then be understoodas caring for such intrinsic values. Intrinsicvalues provide moral reasons for action iffthey are seen as constitutive of the good lifefor humans. I conclude by reinterpreting,within the framework of a perfectionist ethicaltheory, the notion of indirect dutiesregarding animals, which go beyond andsupplement the direct duties towardsanimals. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,875 |
| External links |
|
| Through your library | Configure |
Marcel Dol (ed.) (1999). Recognizing the Intrinsic Value of Animals: Beyond Animal Welfare. Van Gorcum.
M. B. M. Bracke & H. Hopster (2006). Assessing the Importance of Natural Behavior for Animal Welfare. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 19 (1).
Kirsten Schmidt (2011). Concepts of Animal Welfare in Relation to Positions in Animal Ethics. Acta Biotheoretica 59 (2):153-171.
Hugo Fjelsted Alrøe, Mette Vaarst & Erik Steen Kristensen (2001). Does Organic Farming Face Distinctive Livestock Welfare Issues? – A Conceptual Analysis. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 14 (3):275-299.
Robert Heeger & Frans W. A. Brom (2001). Intrinsic Value and Direct Duties: From Animal Ethics Towards Environmental Ethics? Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 14 (2):241-252.
Ellen-Marie Forsberg (2011). Inspiring Respect for Animals Through the Law? Current Development in the Norwegian Animal Welfare Legislation. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 24 (4):351-366.
Donald Broom (2011). A History of Animal Welfare Science. Acta Biotheoretica 59 (2):121-137.
David J. Mellor (2009). The Sciences of Animal Welfare. Wiley-Blackwell.
Theofano Vetouli, Vonne Lund & Brigitte Kaufmann (2012). Farmers' Attitude Towards Animal Welfare Aspects and Their Practice in Organic Dairy Calf Rearing: A Case Study in Selected Nordic Farms. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 25 (3):349-364.
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-01-28Total downloads4 ( #180,507 of 556,840 )Recent downloads (6 months)1 ( #64,931 of 556,840 )How can I increase my downloads? |

