Week 2- Introducing Ethics For Animal Care Workers Flashcards
Ethics
A system of moral principles that helps define what is good for individuals and society
- To think ethically requires you to consider beyond yourself- it is about the ‘other’
- Ethical issues do not often have a “right answer”.
What are Ethics?
Ethical deal with what is good or bad, right or wrong
- Ethical theory is a branch of philosophy animal
- Ethics are a part of everyday life
Thinking about Ethics…
- Think about a time when you had to make a decision about doing “the right thing”
- What did you choose to do?
- Do you think you made a good decision?
- Why or why not?
Branches of Ethics
Societal ethics- a set of rules or guidelines, based around ethical choices and values, that society adheres to
Professional ethics- the personal and corporate rules that govern behaviour within the context of a particular profession
Personal ethics- is a category of philosophy that determines what an individual believes about morality and right and wrong
Where do we get our Ethics?
- Most people from childhood obtain moral education about character development from stories, such as fairytales
- what are some examples of lessons you might learned from an early stage through stories, television, etc?
- Alongside those influences, our families, friends and culture help to create our ethical perspective
- Does anyone have an example of something that is part of their family or cultural learning related to ethics?
- As we move through life and have different experiences, our ethical perspective on things may change, and sometimes our ethics are very inconsistent
Why do I Care About Ethics?
Why do animal care professionals need ethics?
- We have obligations to different parties so ethical decisions are constantly faced
- Ethics are the tools to make these decisions well
Why do I Care About Ethics?
Why do animal care professionals need ethics?
- We have obligations to different parties so ethical decisions are constantly faced
- Ethics are the tools to make these decisions well
The importance of Language
- One of the ways we can reflect on ethics in the words we use
- Using words the same way in this class
Key Words
Animal- refers to members of the animal kingdom who are not human, with the understanding that humans are also humans
Hierarchy- a system where item/categories are divided into different levels of power
Speciesism- discrimination of the basis of species; oppression and judgement of an animal on the basis of that animal’s species
Key words continued
Anthropocentric- a view that places human beings at the centre of all things and view non-human animals as less important
Anthropomorphic- assigning human behaviours, emotions, motivations or characteristics to non-human animals of objects
Animal advocacy- promotion of the interests of animals. Generally includes work for animal rights and welfare
Key words continued part 3
Commodification-conversation of a living being, principle or natural environment into an “object” that is used, exchanged consumed for profit
Moral community- a group of beings who live in relationship with each other and use and understand moral concepts and rules
Autonomous- a species living or conducting itself completely independent of others
Sentience- the ability to have emotional responses, feelings, changing mental states
Ideas that influence perspectives on animals
There are two key ideas that may influence a person’s opinion in terms of how important animals are, and what ethical obligations we have towards them.
- The Question of Sentience
- The Question of Moral Status
The Question of Sentience
What is Sentience?
-the ability to have emotional responses, feelings, or changing mental status
Evidence of Sentience
- Behavioural observation
- Evolutionary connections
- Physiology & anatomy
The question of Moral Status
What does it mean to have ‘moral status’?
-to matter for one’s sake, not just in relation to others
