Ethics: Issues of Animal Life and Death Flashcards
Give examples of how animals may be treated in the intensive/factory farming system
- Animals may be kept in cramped and filthy environments e.g. chickens can suffer from ammonia burns due to their own excrement not being cleaned up
- In the fur industry, for example, animals such as mink and sable are skinned alive
- Painful procedures such as branding, de-horning and de-beaking often take place without anesthetic
- In the UK, there are animal welfare standards that must be adhered to e.g. ensuring animals are slaughtered in the most humane way possible by lowering light levels and oxygen levels to calm them
Give a quote from Aquinas that summarises his view of the status of animals
“Although man is of the same genus as other animals, he is of a different species”
How does Aquinas use the Function Argument to explain his views in relation to intensive farming?
- Humans are the only creatures capable of reason, so that means that all other creatures are lower on the hierarchy of souls - they are not self-aware enough to be concerned for
- A human’s telos is to use reason to achieve a final end with God - this telos is unique to humans
- Therefore, all animals lower than humans on the hierarchy are subject to be used by humans to achieve their telos, even if this means being killed for human benefit
How does Aquinas use theology to support his argument?
- Aquinas cites the Bible passage “Everything living thing that moves shall be food for you” to support the idea that animals were created for the benefit of humans
- Aquinas’ ideas thus support the Christian idea of dominion, rather than stewardship
- He concludes from this that “There is no sin in using a thing for the purpose for which it is made…”
Why did Judith Barad disagree with Aquinas’ view of animals?
- Barad believed that animals had intrinsic value outside of the context of humans, and they should therefore be respected and treated with compassion
- “An animal’s capacity has value independent of their usefulness to human beings”
Give a quote to explain the Roman Catholic views on animal ethics
“Man’s dominion…requires a religious respect for the integrity of God’s creation…Thus men owe [animals] kindness.”
- Dominion vs. Stewardship - this quote suggests that use of animals is morally permissible as long as they are treated with the correct level of respect and kindness that all of Creation deserves.
What is the Roman Catholic view of using animals for scientific procedures and/or cloning?
- RCs claim that using animals for medical or scientific experiments is a moral practice, but only if the experiments are “within reasonable limits” and “contribute to saving human lives”
- At all times, caution must be takes not to damage or alter God’s Creation in any way, as this would be unacceptable - this could happen in cases of genetic modification, for example, and people would be playing God
