Enlightenment Flashcards
1
Q
Introduction
A
- Animals are central to human life
- Enlightenment by Oxford dictionary means a time 18th c when writers/scientists suggested science and reason more important than religion/tradition
- Multiple factors interlinked
- List paragraph themes - Bentham, Anatomy, Religion, Romatics, Legislation
2
Q
Para 1 - Bentham
A
- Game changers with advancement of science and philosophy
- Realisation that animals could feel pain, philosophers began to debate this
- Bentham most famously said ‘Question is not can they reason , can they talk but Can they suffer’ footnote on slavery but used constantly in terms of animal welfare
- Developed school of thought Utilitarianism based on greatest good is the one for greatest number
- ‘nature placed two sovereign masters pain and pleasure, point out what ought to do, in relation to animals it is better for the pleasure to outweigh the pain
- In order to achieve greatest happiness one must take into account animals as morally relevant
- Hindu religions high regard of animal welfare, and French also began releasing that ‘blackness of the skin is no reason to treat human with redress’ then extent to animals
- Lucretius in 1c BC ‘even the dumb beasts indicate emotions this is obvious’
- Catholic Dictionary ‘they are not created by god, they have no rights, the brutes are made for man’
3
Q
Para 2 - Anatomy
A
- Bentham based on realisation that animals feel pain aka are sentient
- Very different from Descartes that animals are machines, even if react just mechanical reaction rather than soul
- Proved wrong by anatomy, experiments on animals/anatomy scientists began to realise that animal anatomy similar to human, maybe not made in gods image, so both feel pain
- Voltarie - Against Descartes example of dog looking for one,r then nailed to table same veins ‘has nature arranged all the means of feeling in this animal so it may not feel’
- William Harvey - An anatomical dissertation on the heart and blood in animals lead to revolution of human body, but also humans machines
- Lamarck and Erasmus Darwin began the basis of evolution. ‘Every organism wants 3 things, lust, hunger and security’ leads to Charles Darwin
- Galen 2nd C preformed vivisections on animals but draw incorrect conclusions on anatomy
- Jean-Jacque Rousseau ‘Every animal has ideas, because it has senses’
- Bridge between human and animals previously thought mans dominion, Catholic only man in gods image
- Sentiency is the link Bethnam used in turn legislate if not utter disregard
- Geology and Astronomy also had minor roles to play
4
Q
Para 3 - Religion
A
- Above effected religion
- Reformation happened also played a role
- Splitting of Christianity, more sympathetic stance towards animals
- Previously under Catholics was man’s dominion, hierarchal, Aristotle created for humans use however, Christianity emphasis uniqueness and sanctity of human life
- Science put something in its place rather than just merely debunking the reasoning behind god
- Scientists still tended to believe in religion at this point
- Quakers concern for animals - George Fox condemns hunting, John Woolman said love God but exercise cruelty to animals is contraction
- Methodists rejected gulf between humans and animal world, John Wesley opposed cruel sports, argued children shouldn’t be cruel to animals, and preached to working class while on horseback, vegetarian as well
5
Q
Para 4 - Romantics
A
- Swung other way after enlightenment science and reason, to emotion
- Agricultural revolution made the wild countryside seem less imposing and more appreciated not feared
- Exploring it holidaying in the countryside, rural tourism lake district
- Natural world should be admired
- William Wordsworth, Robbie burns wrote about natural world.
- To a Mouse apologising over man’s dominion yet not famous in his day
- Anthropomorphism helped as well Alice in Wonderland, Jungle Book
6
Q
Para 5 - Legislation
A
- All lead to legislation which protection animals from harm and could feel pain and have duty
- 1800/1802 ban bull-baiting which kindness and kinship approach
- 1809 Lord Erskine animal bill bans cruelty to animals
