Animal issues of life and death Flashcards
Arguments for using animals as a food source
-Humans have always eaten meat, why stop now?
-Animals are not sentient beings, unlike humans.
-Ethical meat-eating is possible e.g free range
-Essential for human survival (nutrients)
-Human anatomy shows that humans are designed/naturally selected to be able to eat meat.
Arguments against using animals as a food source
-Animals are sentient, intelligent creatures.
-Meat-eating is no longer sustainable (50 billion farm animals slaughtered for meat /year)
-Plants can provide us with essential nutrients
-51% greenhouse emmissions come from animal agriculture.
What are the statistics concerning problems with intensive farming?
-51% greenhouse emissions from animal agriculture.
-Animals grow 3 times faster than normal.
-Around 50 billion farm animals bread and raised for consumption annually.
-2/3 animals raised for food are in factories.
-44 billion chickens killed for meat /year. 60% in factories live in crowded and filthy conditions, given drugs for abnormal growth, become so heavy their legs break, untreated body sores.
-Land damage, water pollution, climate change.
Virtue ethics on use of animals as food
-Acceptabke
-Animals exist for the sake of humans according to Aristotle’s heirarchy of souls.
-Unclear in modern times as Aristotle may consider factory farming as not being virtuous BUT he does claim that virtues are directed towards persons.
Virtue ethics on using animals in scientific procedures such as cloning.
-Aristotle accepts BUT some virtue ethicists do not.
-Aristotle used animals for his own scientific procedures.
-Highest thing in us in reason and intellect. Using animals in science can develop our intelligence meaning it is virtuous.
-Benefits of scientific research includes ability to develop drugs and medicines to cure diseases such as HIV/AIDS, meaning it helps humans and is therefore virtuous.
BUT some virtue ethicists argue it is not compassionate at all due to a lack of regulation and an excess of suffering for the animals. They argue there is technology that is at least as effective as using animals.
Virtue ethics on using animals in transplants (xenotransplantation)
-Aristotle approves
-It shows compassion to humans whose lives are saved and using animals in science develops intellect.
Virtue ethics on using animals in blood sports
-Rosalind Hursthouse argues it shows the vice of ‘callousness’.
-Some argue it shows a lack of compassion and the violent behaviour could be repeated towards humans.
-Hunting animals in public may upset people.
Examples of blood sports
-Bullfighting
-Fox hunting
-Goose pulling
-Horse racing
-Entertainment e.g orcas in seaworld
What is PETA?
-Believe animals have rights to live their lives peacefully.
-Animal rights activist group
NML on use of animals for transplants (xenotransplantation)
-Approves
-Humans can use animals in any way they see fit.
-Safeguards on banning any attempt to modify the human anatomy / God’s blueprint for humans at creation.
NML on use of animals in blood sports
-Aquinas approves
-Humans can use animals as they see fit
-The death of the animal is of legitimate use (human entertainment).
BUT the Catholic Church argues it is unfair and unkind to make animals suffer and die needlessly
NML on use of animals in scientific procedures and cloning
-Aquinas approves of using animals in scientific procedures as they are below humans and it can benefit humans.
-Aquinas may have concerns about animal cloning if the experiments change the nature of the animal as it is God’s creation. However, he would accept genetic experimentation to increase milk yield, animal size, reistance to disease etc.
Situation ethics ideas on use of animals as food + intensive farming
-Depends on the situation
-Meat eating is not intrinsically wrong.
-Intensive farming gives lower income families access to nutritious foods.
-If meat is not produced it may result in many people dying of starvation.
-There are more ethical alternatives that may result in a more loving outcome.
-But these alternatives may not be accessible to all.
Situation ethics on use of animals in scientific procedures; cloning
-Fletcher himself involved in cloning research.
-Acceptable to use animals in scientific procedures as a pragmatic way of saving human lives.
Situation ethics on using animals in organ transplantation
-Most animals don’t qualify as persons.
-Individual agapeistic judgements need to be made.
-Human people are in need of organs, not animals.
-Some SEs argue animals qualify as persons and can’t consent to the use of their organs.
