sentience Flashcards
what is a sentient
one that has some ability: to evaluate the actions of others in relation to itself and third parties, to remember some of its own actions and their consequences, to assess risk, to have some feelings and to have some degree of awareness
what are some human opinions that have changed over time
- all humans vs. subsets
- companion animals
- animals similar to humans (chimpanzee)
- larger mammals
- warm-blooded animals
- all vertebrates
true/false: animals are capable of sophisticated learning
true
where is there little concern for animal welfare?
pests, those that can’t be eaten
how are animals more complex if they have to contend with a varied environment?
• Have elaborate motivational system
• Allows them to think about impacts of their
environment
• Make appropriate decisions
what animal are more complex in functioning?
animals that live socially
true/false: demands on cognitive ability are greater in small groups than large social group
false, large
what makes an animal sentient
level of brain functioning that makes some degree of awareness possible
Do humans have ethical duties to animals?
Yes, otherwise why would we study animal welfare
Do animals have moral standing?
Animals can suffer
“the question is no can they reason bo can they talk but rather can they suffer” whos quote?
Jeremy Bentham
define utilitarianism
The right act or policy is that which will result in the maximum utility or expected balance of satisfaction minus dissatisfaction in all the sentient beings affected
• Mill (1861)
what does utilitarianism imply
Implies that decisions are taken only on the basis of the average or overall good of collection of individuals
what is the best known approach to animal ethics?
utilitariansim
define consequentialism
Only consequences are important when making ethical decision
how does utilitarianism always aim at bringing about the best possible consequences?
Taking into account all of those affected by an ethical decision
what is the starting point of utilitarianism?
general benevolence
what is the most prominent form of utilitarianism and define it
Hedonistic Utilitarianism
• Defines the good as welfare
• Defines welfare in terms of subjective experiences, including both negative welfare and positive welfare
according to utilitarianism, when should be animals be included in our ethical decisions?
if they feel pain and pleasure
what is the significance of Peter Singer?
• Argues in favor of a radical attitude to the welfare of farm animals
- Boycott animal products and become vegetarians
• Not because he thinks it is in principle wrong to kill an animal but because consumption of meat/other products from commercially reared animals leads to animal suffering
• If a being can suffer, it has an interest in
avoiding suffering
• It’s interests should be treated equally to the similar interests of other beings
- Whether they are human or not
heatedism
bring pleasure and minimize pain
describe the modern intensive livestock production
- Animals in confined feeding operations suffer
* Some basic interests of these animals are set aside – efficient production and meat is cheap
describe consumers
accept much high costs of meat production to increase animal welfare
why does Singer believe that people in industrialized societies should not eat meat at all?
- Creates animal suffering, not outweighed by the human pleasure it generates
- Eating meat is inefficient use of resources, contributes to climate change
