Animal Welfare

Question 0

What does reciprocity mean?

Answer 0

Making sacrifices for another pay off. “I’ll scratch your back if..”

Question 1

What is the thesis of De Waal’s paper?

Answer 1

The gap between humans and animals is not as large as we believe. There is a continuity between us and other species such as Chimps.

Question 2

Devision of rewards, reciprocity, and cooperation are all examples of why…

Answer 2

Basic human economic tendencies are not limited to our species.

Question 3

What is an example of reciprocity in chimpanzees?

Answer 3

After going on a hunt and dividing up the kill among the hunters, those who did not take part beg in vain for a share. The hunters enjoy having priority during the division of spoils.

Question 4

What does it mean to say that chimpanzees have contingencies between favors given and received.

Answer 4

“I’ll scratch your back you scratch mine”. A sense of memory in who deserves the favor returned.

Question 5

What is Respect of Possession as it pertains to De Waal’s view point?

Answer 5

Claiming another’s food by force is basically unheard of. More likely to are begging, whimpering, and whining.

Question 6

What does Kin Selection explain?

Answer 6

Why we have altruism of our kin

Question 7

What is the link between Singers first and second articles?

Answer 7

First he sets the guidelines for equality by establishing that having the capacity to have interests makes you equal to all others. The second goes into discussing animal liberation after establishing his views on equality.

Question 8

The principle of equal consideration of interests says that…

Answer 8

An interest is an interest regardless of who’s it is. Factors such as sex, race, etc. are irrelevant.

Question 9

What establishes which interest is more important?

Answer 9

Whichever is more severe. Not the person who’s interest it is.

Question 10

What is the exception to the principle of equal considerations of interests?

Answer 10

Human beings who are not and have never been vicious and therefore have no interests to be considered.

Question 11

What is Singer’s main point in his second article?

Answer 11

Animals have interests just as much as humans. The interest of animals have to be taken into account following the the principle of equal consideration of interests as well as humans

Question 12

What is Singer’s reply to the objection that pain felt by humans is worse than that of a mouse?

Answer 12

This doesn’t change the idea that we give priority to whatever is suffering more. Inflicting the same amount of pain on both a human and an animal is equally wrong.

Question 13

When can it be justified to kill an animal?

Answer 13

If hunting for food is your ONLY way to survive. Most humans could live healthy lifestyles with out animal consumption, however.

Question 14

When can experimentation with animals be justified?

Answer 14

Only when equal consideration of interests is applied and it is absolutely necessary.

Question 15

What is Singer’s reply to the objection of “how do we know that animals feel pain”?

Answer 15

Humans and animals have similar reactions to the same sources of pain. We assume that this is because they feel pain in a similar way. Also, we have similar nervous systems. Invertebrates however have different nervous systems making us less confidence in how they feel pain.

Question 16

What would Singer’s reply be to the objection that “animals eat each other so why can’t we”?

Answer 16

Most animals who kill for food wouldn’t survive if they didn’t but most humans would. Animals also can’t consider alternative sources for food or reflect on the ethics of their diet.

Question 17

What is the main thesis of Sagoff’s article?

Answer 17

He draws a distinction between animal liberation and environmentalism. He provides example for hoe each belief system feels about different issues.

Question 18

What are the main differences Sagoff points out between environmentalism and animal liberation?

Answer 18

Environmentalists are concerned with the status of species while animal liberationists care about individual animals without any regard to species. Environmentalists are indifferent towards the suffering of animals while this is animal liberationists biggest concern.

Question 19

How do environmentalists and animal liberationists views differ in regards to hunting.

Answer 19

Environmentalists consider hunting to be okay in some cases if it maintains the integrity of ecosystems. Animal liberationists believe that killing and causing pain to an animal is always wrong regardless of the effect it has on the ecosystem.

Question 20

What is the goal of environmentalism?

Answer 20

To maintain diversity, integrity, beauty, and authenticity of the natural environment.

Question 21

What is the main objective of Diamond’s article?

Answer 21

Wildlife management and to eliminate human interference.

Question 22

What are the two main arguments in Diamond’s article?

Answer 22

Keystone species and fragmentation of habitats.

Question 23

Give an example for Diamonds view on keystone species?

Answer 23

Thousands of keystone species were killed to protect deer population. Deer population soured and then later died.

Question 24

What is a keystone specie?

Answer 24

Species that have overwhelming importance to an ecosystems function because of direct it indirect affects it has in habitat structure and abundance of other species.

Question 25

What is an example of how habitat fragmentation can be bad.

Answer 25

Putting up fences that prevent migration. But without the fences, animals could roam freely however they are more subject to be shot.

Question 26

What is the main point of Guha’s article?

Answer 26

That using our policies in third world countries would be detrimental.

Question 27

What does deep ecology argue?

Answer 27

The environment must shift from an anthropometric to a biocentric perspective. Also in the preservation of wilderness and restoration of defeated areas.

Question 28

What does Guha find are the biggest issues with the world today?

Answer 28

Over consumption by the industrialized world and growing militarization.

Question 29

What is the main point of Wilcott’s article?

Answer 29

To outline that there is a mosquito problem in the United States centered around the wetlands and that there is little education or documents that promote how to keep wetlands and eliminate mosquito problems. She also discusses the difference between restoring things to their original state and restoring things functions.

Question 30

What does Wilcott say is better, restoring to original state or restoring function.

Answer 30

Restoring function. Taking wetlands back to their original state would bring back all of the negatives of wetlands. Restoring the function of wetlands while preventing the spread of disease is crucial.