Midterm 1 Flashcards
what is ethics (3 definitions)
- discipline dealing w what is good and bad w moral duty and obligation
- a set of moral principles: theory/system of moral values
- a set of moral issues or aspects.
to put it simply - how we ought to behave
how to justify a moral view?
ensure its more than a feeling or the expression of personal taste
direct moral/ethical obligations
animals have moral standing, theyre members of moral community
indirect moral/ethical obligation
animals do not have moral standing, not members of moral community
contractarian view
morality based on a contract/agreement between individuals
treating others well means you will be treated well.
based off of self interest
morality only applies to individuals who can enter into an agreement (not animals)
obligations based on how much they matter to other humans
good treatment of animals cintingent on agreement between people
utilitarian view
morality based on consequences
human actions should produce the best possible consequences
maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain
animals are included in moral community
practice that causes suffering is acceptable when suffering is outweighed by pleasantness generated
killing is acceptable in some conditions
animal rights view
morality based on rights that should be protected
animals are included in he moral community bc theyre sentient
humans + animals have inherent value of their own
inherent value can not be used in calculations act consequences
killing is not morally acceptable - only self defence
relational views
“ethics of care” causing suffering is wring bc it demonstrates lack of care
duties to animals may be based on emotional relations to them
humans can feel sympathy fr the suffering of strangers
humans may be concerned act animals bc of negative effect that poor treatment of animals may have on other ppl
more of an obligation to domestic animals or wild animals after interfering w their habitat
respect for nature view
moral concerns may be based on potential extinction of the species
species has value self and deserves to be protected from extinction.
domestic animals may be considered to be less valuable than wild animals
Pythagoras beliefs
philosopher / mathematician
close connection between humans and animals
opposed to eating animals bc believed in reincarnation
did Pythagoras believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? direct or indirect?
yes, direct
Aristotle beliefs
greek philosopher/science
collection of wild animals
animals + humans shear perception and emotion
argued only humans have capacity for speech and reasoning - humans are superior and have authority over animal
ARISTOTLE believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? direct or indirect?
no
st thomas aquinas beliefs
Middle Ages
italian philosopher and theologian
christian flavour to Aristotle - animals are for our use
animals do not have mortal souls
ppl who mistreat animals may develop a habit to commit crimes
st Thomas aquinas believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? direct or indirect?
yes indirect
rené Descartes
renaissance
frenchie, philosopher, physiologist, mathematician - naturally, he’s insane
blamed for introducing concept of animals as machines
encouraged vivisection for advancement of knowledge
argued animals are:
- devoid of language and rationality
- capable of feeling fear, pain
- capable of emotion without thought
rené Descartes believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? direct or indirect?
no
Thomas Hobbes
age of enlightenment
English philosopher
social contract theory - basis for western political philosophy
humans act out of self interest - leads to cooperation and social contract
animals have no language and so they can’t enter social contract
not worthy of moral consideration but can matter to other humans
Thomas Hobbes believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? direct or indirect?
yes, indirect
John locke
age of enlightenment
English philosopher/physician
developed the idea of social contract theory
animals have simple mental capacities
- evidence of memory, can’t form abstractions like ppl
animals can suffer and harming them is morally wrong
John locke believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? direct or indirect?
yes, indirect
Immanuel kant
German philosopher - moral philosophy - age of enlightenment
morality is about following the rules
introduced principle of categorical imperative
humans are ends in themselves
emphasized diff between humans and animals - humans have rationality
animals can be treated as means to an end
doing our duties to animals is indirectly doing our duties to humanity
Immanuel kant believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? direct or indirect?
indirect
Jeremy bentham
English philosopher + social performer
- concerned act working conditions
argued the consequences of actions that mattered
good = happiness, bad = pain and suffering
Jeremy Bentham believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? direct or indirect?
yes, direct
John stewart mill
English philosopher
greatest happiness principle - utilitarian
- good action causes greatest happiness for everyone
join Stewart mill believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? indirect or direct
yes, direct
Peter singer
Australian philosopher
professor of bioethics
promotes utilitarian approach but opposes animal use, not against so long as they have a good life and painless death
father of animal rights despite not being an animal rightist.
Peter singer believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? indirect or direct
yes, direct
tom regan
American philosopher "the case for animal rights" animals have inherent value individuals who have inherent value have equal right to be treated w respect killing is harm by deprivation against utilitarianism
tom Regan believe humans have duties/obligations to animals? indirect or direct
yes, direct
teleological theories
based on “goodness and badness” results of actions
deontological theories
based on “right and wrong” intrinsic properties of actions. necessity, obligation
which branch of ethical theory is utilitarian based on
teleological - what promotes greatest happiness, least suffering
what branch of ethical theory is animal rights based on
deontological - rights should be promoted and protected. animals have the right to not get hurt
weakness of animal rights
term harm is hard to grasp
concept of inherent value is unclear
3 criteria forming the basis of welfare definitions *
physical, mental, natural/behavioural
3 elements in welfare debate *MC Q
- science - effects on animal from animal perspective
- ethics - human action towards animal
- law - result of science + ethics dictating how humans must treat animals (codes of practice
confinement systems for pigs
sows in gestation stalls, farrowing crates
- ~2 X7ft
may result in abnormal chewing behaviour, excessive drinking, dog sit
pigs prefer to stay in a group where they can do rooting behaviour
family pen systems for pigs include:
manure area
rooting area
active area
- accommodate for natural behaviours
housing systems for chickens
variety of group sizes
non cage w litter to scratch in, elevated areas
multi their - slats, all hens have equal access
free range - outside access
negatives of natural environments
include stressors that impact welfare
- animals may adapt to some of these stressors but long term can be detrimental
sow stalls and 3 criteria for welfare
naturalness - restricted behaviour
physical - lack of exercise impacts cardio / bone strength
- ulcers, injuries from bar biting
mental - little control over environment, pain form pysical, apathy
alternative to sow stalls
- group housing w electric feeders
- group farrowing systems
- 2 stage systems
- allowing animals to behave freely
animal welfare - physical aspect
good physical health and functioning of animals
animal welfare - mental/psychological aspect
minimize affective states (pain, fear) and allow normal pleasures
animal welfare - behavioural/natural aspect
develop and live in natural ways for the species
T/F animals can be in good health and still not have a good life experience
T
more to protect animals than preventing cruelty
world organization for animal health def. of animal welfare
how animal is coping in living conditions
- comfortable, safe and humane handling and slaughter
*“5 freedoms”
- freedom from hunger and thirst
- freedom from discomfort
- freedom from pain, injury and disease
- freedom to express normal behavoiur
- freedom from fear and distress
- combines all criteria, does not include the freedom from death
conflict with the 5 freedoms
free from disease conflicts w fear from handling during treatment
free to express normal behaviour conflicts w distress from normal behaviour like fighting.
free stalls
free choice food, species specific behaviour
stanchion/tie stall
little freedom of movement
feed in a manger
less freedoms
5 rights for ag animals
- good nutrition - diet to maintain health and vigour
- good environment - suitable housing, good air, comfy bed
- good health - vet care
- appropriate behaviour
- positive mental experiences
scale of quality of life
good life > life worth living > bad life
affective state
umbrella term for emotions, sensory pleasure, mood, etc
emotions
individuals assessment of personal meaning - personally meaningful, short period of time
sensory pleasure `
satiation, when a stimulus corrects internal trouble, shared emotions, subjective feelings
pleasure
feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment
mood
free-floating, objectless, long lastin
suffering
no universally accepted definition, negative feelings over a prolonged time and or high intensity. no distinction of an end or a start
mental states
welfare dependent on what animals feel, animal welfare concerned w subjective feelings of animals.
- is the animal happy
- do they have opportunities for positive states?
what happens to something without affective states?
neither fun nor pain. need the bad w the good.
welfare and death
welfare is ab the living animal, dead animals can no longer have experiences.
however death rates can be a welfare concern.
death should be instantaneous, high death rates can mean poor welfare
methods of killing a rodent and how humane it is
dog - very fun
live traps - depends on frequency (some concerns w relocation)
snap traps - instant death - most humane when works as its supposed to
toxic baits - slow, painful death - internal bleeding. v inhumane
glue traps - slow death by starvation - even more inhumane
anthromophism in animal welfare
- human characteristics attributed to other animals
- starting point for considering what animals want/need
- can not be relied on its own - monkey that went to space example
folk psychology
- natural interpretation given robust knowledge
- expertise gathered when spending lots of time w something
- must also be qualified with science
dignity of animal
inherent worth taken into account when being handled
animal has the right to be valued and respected
conscoiusness
how things feel
philosophy - how you can have experiences
involved when awake
ability to perceive/respond to features of environment
access consciousness *
- mental representation used to rationalize and control action
self consciousness *
aware of oneself
phenomenal consciousness
aka sentience - this one is v important
how we understand other minds, what is it like to be someone else
refers to other aspects of consciousness
behavioural welfare and quality of life
- studies of motivation, preferences and aversions
2. examples of behavioural indicators of stress, pain, disease, and affective states
4 areas of studying animal behaviour - why an animal behaves the way it does
- function
- causation
- ontogeny
- evolution
methods of animal assessment - behavioural welfare (5)
- behavioural observation
- preference tests
- work animal will do to get what it wants/needs
- work animal will do to escape impleasant stimulations
- deviations from normal behavoiur
how to use animal behaviour observation to assess welfare
quantitative assessment
- frequency, duration latency, and # of animals performing a behaviour
qualitative assessment
- descriptive terms summarizing animals emotional state and behaviour
how to use animal preferences tests observation to assess welfare
observation doesnt tell of restrictions are important. animals must learn to do a response and make a decision
habituation
animals learn to cease response to stem w no important or relevant outcomes
associative learning
animals learn certain stim. may mean a reward or punishment and modify behaviour accordingly
preference test considerations
- preferences are relative,
- short term vs long term
- previous experiences will influence prefernce
- do not expect animals weigh the total consequences.
- presence should be backed w motivational tests
- does not answer id welfare is worse if an animal can not get what it wants
how to use animal strength of motivation observation to assess welfare
work that will be done to gain what is needed, animal works for rewards
tells us which option the animal prefers the most/ how much they want it over something else.
how is strength of animal motivation similar to elasticict of demand
motivation is highest to perform activities w inelastic demand
motivation for other activities can be compared w motivation for essential needs
inelastic demand
will buy out of need - consumer remains regardless of price
elastic demand
only buy out of want - increased price will get rid of consumer
what is the work that will be done to escape unpleasant stimulations
how hard an animal will work to avoid stressful/painful situation
similar to motivational tests but opposite
what is abnormal behaviour
can be developed
non-stereotypic - can be repetitive - like pacing
not all stereotypic behaviour is abnormal like locomotion or breathing
how to define normality?
linked to statistical deviation
develop norms for the measure - objective and scientific methods
line between normal/abnormal is 1-2 std deviations from the avg.
maladaptive vs adaptive behaviour
refers to effectiveness of animals behaviour rather that statistical terms
if behaviour works - effective
if behaviour doesnt work - ineffective
objective concept - may work for one and not for the other
physiological indicators of welfare
neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems
what is eustress?
positive stress, like play behaviour
what is stress
complex term- psychological/physiological changes that occur in response to real and perceived threats - allustasis
stress response
evolved to handle physical threats, physcoligical threats elicit a similar response - fight or flight, mobilization of the immune system
neural axes
stress response via neural innervation of target organs
3 neural axes
- sympathetic nervous system
- parasympathetic activation
- neuromuscular- skeletal muscle activation
neuroendocrine axis
fight or flight response - also sympathetic NS, - adrenaline secretion
endocrine axis
most chronic aspects of the stress response, greater intensity to activate
why to focus on automatic nervous system
w/o consciousness - cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, endocrine and exocrine glands
- influences activity of most tissues and organ systems, thus impacting homeostasis
parasympathetic NS
rest and digest - basic bodily function
psychical welfare
sensory input - sight, smell, hear, taste, etc `
biogenic / psychosocial stressors
natural body response
limbic system location and function
neocortex - sympathetic adrenal medullary system prepares the body for immediate physical activity
- fight or flight response
automatic NS response - direct pathological changes
heart rate variability blood pressure body temp resp. rate cortecholamine levels
automatic NS response - indirect pathological changes
adrenal habituation
measurement techniques for psychological stress response
agreements for/against
- invasiveness
- restriction
- disturbance
heart rate variability (HRV)
beat to beat change in heart rate
associated w impaired emotional and behavioural regulation and stress
blood pressure as a psychological stress response
measure of chronic welfare change
aggression leads to increase in mice
body temp as a psychological stress response
stress leads to change in blood flow, influx of blood to major organs increases core body temp `
resp rate as a psychological stress response
assessment of present state
easy to observe
closely related to heart rate
what is released from adrenal medulla
adrenaline and noradrenaline (epinephrine and norepinephrine
adrenaline specificity
psychological stim
noradrenaline specifity
physical stim
what can bias automatic nervous system measurements
- activity, metabolism , and timing of the sample
- individual diff - dominance status, sex, high nd low responders
- disturbance due to measurement
- have to be cautious when measuring these variables
blood corticoids
concentration in blood plasma commonly measured as an indicator for the presence of stressors
drawbacks of blood corticoids
- varies dramatically minute by minute
- wide variation in inter and intra individual baseline levels
- can follow periodical rhythmic patterns
- stress from sampling will increase it
positives for glucortocoids (poop)
- less disturbance for animal
- over a longer period of time
- can be frequently collected
- more accurately reflects the secretions than blood samples
negatives for glucortocoids (poop)
route and time course of excretion vary greatly among species
- metabolic excretions may vary between species
organ pathology
chronic welfare issues = wide variety of pathologies, most measured post mortem - limited use at diagnosing ongoing welfare assessments
examples of organ pathology
adrenal hypertrophy - prolonged activation of ANS and HPA systems
kidney lesions - prolonged high blood pressure and blood retention
myocardial lesions - prolonged activation of sympathetic nervous system
what is a disease
deviation of normal structure and functioning of an organ/organ system in the body
causes of dieases
oxygen deficiency - causes cell injury and death - can result in heart failure, response failure, etc
physical agents - trauma, extreme heat/cold, damaged cell and blood supply, altered conduction of nerves and muscles
infectious agents - viruses, bacterial infection etc
disease and behavoiur
individuals may modify behaviour, selective pressure of disease causes evolution of behaviour. these changes assist in a diagnosis
benefits of sickness behaviour
energy saving measures - decreased movement, posture change, disinterest in social interactions. may decrease risk of predation
sickness-associated anorexia functional basis?
- induction of the response for the parasites benefit
- reduced food intake starves parasite
- reduced energetic deficiency leads to anorexia
- anorexia enhances effective immune responses
- anorexia leads to increased diet selectivity during infection
productivity and animal welfare
low productivity indicates inadequate care and stress
- energy used for growth will instead be used on the immune system
improved husbandry leads to improved productivity
