Humans Inherently Owe Animals
Posted by nzvs 02-04-2008
| Humans inherently owe animals Full story: Daily Evergreen Because other animals are unable to communicate and conceive of themselves collectively, they cannot tell us to stop killing them. They are the silent victims whose voices can never be heard. And because they cannot protest our exploitation of them, we excuse our behavior as a process of nature. Yet, if we are moral animals, we are obligated to take notice of the harm and suffering we cause other beings. "The question is not, Can they reason? nor Can they talk, but, Can they suffer?" Jeremy Bentham wrote, forming the foundation for his ethical philosophy in the 1700s. I know many people who love their pets, recognize their emotional states and intelligence, but still support the slaughter and consumption of nonhuman meat. Because they are aware of their complicated biological and emotional lives, dog and cat lovers would never consume their pets - even if they were factory-farmed and cheaply available. Yet, if animals are not cute, furry and domesticated, it is acceptable to farm, kill and eat them. Our moral consideration should not stop merely at our level of familiarity. |
| Daily Evergreen - March 4, 200 |
