Environmental Ethics 2 (2):99-120 (1980)
Authors |
|
Abstract |
In this essay, I explore the moral foundations of the treatment of animals. Alternative views are critically examined, including (a) the Kantian account, which holds that our duties regarding animals are actually indirect duties to humanity; (b) the cruelty account, which holds that the idea of cruelty explains why it is wrong to treat animals in certain ways; and (c) the utilitarian account, which holds that the value of consequences for all sentient creatures explains our duties to animals. These views are shown to be inadequate, the Kantian account because some of our duties regarding animals are direct duties to animals; the cruelty account because it confuses matters of motive or intent with the question of the rightness or wrongness of the agent’s actions; and the utilitarian account because it could be used to justifyidentifiable speciesistic practices. I defend a fourth view. Only if we postulate basic moral rights in the case of humans, can we satisfactorily account for why it is wrong to treat humans in certain ways, and it is only by postulating that these humans have inherent value that we can attribute to them basic moral rights. Consistency requires that we attribute this same kind of value to many animals. Their havinginherent value provides a similar basis for attributing certain basic moral rights to them, including the right not to be harmed. Possession of this right places the onus of justification on anyone who would harm these animals. I set forth conditions for such a justification which those who would abuse animals have failed to meet
|
Keywords | Applied Philosophy General Interest |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
ISBN(s) | 0163-4275 |
DOI | 10.5840/enviroethics19802225 |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
No references found.
Citations of this work BETA
On the Backs of Animals:The Valorization of Reason in Contemporary Animal Ethics.Cathryn Bailey - 2005 - Ethics and the Environment 10 (1):1-17.
On the Backs of Animals: The Valorization of Reason in Contemporary Animal Ethics.Cathryn Bailey - 2005 - Ethics and the Environment 10 (1):1-17.
View all 10 citations / Add more citations
Similar books and articles
Duties Regarding Animals.Patrick Kain - 2010 - In Lara Denis (ed.), Kant's Metaphysics of Morals: A Critical Guide. Cambridge University Press. pp. 210--233.
A Critique of Mary Anne Warren’s Weak Animal Rights View.Aaron Simmons - 2007 - Environmental Ethics 29 (3):267-278.
Kant's Conception of Duties Regarding Animals: Reconstruction and Reconsideration.Lara Denis - 2000 - History of Philosophy Quarterly 17 (4):405-23.
Opposing Views on Animal Experimentation: Do Animals Have Rights?Tom L. Beauchamp - 1997 - Ethics and Behavior 7 (2):113 – 121.
An Examination and Defense of One Argument Concerning Animal Rights.Tom Regan - 1979 - Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 22 (1-4):189 – 219.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2009-01-28
Total views
342 ( #30,874 of 2,520,747 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
13 ( #58,681 of 2,520,747 )
2009-01-28
Total views
342 ( #30,874 of 2,520,747 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
13 ( #58,681 of 2,520,747 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads