Animal Ethics

JUNE 17, 2008

And most of us, of course, just don't know about this. How do we know but what, once we got used to a vegetarian diet, we would find that our pleasure is scarcely diminished at all? Human ingenuity is great, and undoubtedly a skilful vegetarian cook can come up with quite a panoply of delicious dishes.

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Vegetarian Morals Vegetarian Cooking Slaughter 40

Animal Ethics

APRIL 18, 2007

Since a number of "Animal Ethics" readers reside in the northern Illinois area, I thought I would call your attention to an exciting lecture that is taking place on Northern Illinois University's campus. She specializes in Environmental Ethics, Human-Animal Ethics, and Moral Psychology. Jenni, Ph.D.

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Illinois Animal Ethics Ethics Morals 40

Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

There are two approaches a vegetarian might take in arguing that rearing and killing animals for food is morally offensive. He might argue that eating animals is morally bad because of the pain inflicted on animals in rearing and killing them to be eaten. Or he could object to the killing itself.

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Vegetarian Meat Morals Cows 40

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 10, 2009

Does my proposal as to what makes killing another human being generally a major moral wrong in any way help us with deciding what, if anything, is wrong with killing non-human animals and foetuses? Systematic cullings in the absence of feasible alternatives, therefore, may be morally permissible. I believe it does help.

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Killing Animal Morals Animal Liberation 40

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 18, 2006

Keith has not only been my favorite Philosophy professor that I have studied under during the course of my college experience, but my favorite professor in general. Currently, I am very interested in social and political philosophy and ethical issues. Currently, I do not believe that killing an animal is prima facie morally wrong.

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Factory Farm Factory Farming Morals Factory 40

Animal Ethics

MAY 4, 2008

If Smith thinks that plant rights and animal rights stand or fall together, then he is confused, for there is a morally relevant difference between plants and animals, namely, that only the latter are sentient. Addendum: Smith appears not to understand the animal-rights movement. Animals have weight on the moral scale.

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Rights Animal Rights Movement Morals Ethical Treatment 40

Animal Ethics

AUGUST 31, 2008

But animals lack that reflective awareness which enables us to see our experiences and acts as our own (and thereby, of course, unlike animals, to be responsible for our acts). ( Animals are moral patients, but not moral agents. Like children, they can be wronged but cannot wrong. You and I have both.

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Suffering Animal Suffering Factory Farm Factory Farming 40

Animal Ethics

MARCH 12, 2009

First, if my explanation of the importance of moral conduct is correct, then Kant should not be viewed as a man obsessed with duty for duty's sake. He believed, of course, that one ought always to do one's duty and also that only acts motivated by respect for moral law have moral worth. not from duty ).

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Humane Morals Adoptable Ethics 40

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 23, 2006

Jonathan Hubbell, a philosophy major at the University of Texas at Arlington, is the newest member of the Animal Ethics blog, and once again, I would like to welcome him aboard. In his fresh and candid first post (available here ), Jonathan admitted that he is struggling with the issue of ethical vegetarianism.

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Factory Farm Factory Farming Morals Meat 40

Animal Ethics

OCTOBER 29, 2008

Once a definite social movement got under way in the West with its objective the restricting of man's treatment of animals, it moved with relative rapidity. Moral philosophers began to regard it as an obvious truth that it is wrong to treat animals cruelly. But not so far as seriously to limit man's domination of the world.

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Animal Cruelty 2004 Cruelty Vivisection 40

Animal Ethics

JUNE 11, 2008

Many of the higher animals at least have appetites, conative urges, and rudimentary purposes, the integrated satisfaction of which constitutes their welfare or good. But it seems to me, nevertheless, that in general, animals are among the sorts of beings of whom rights can meaningfully be predicated and denied.

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2004 Animal Rights Rights Animal 40

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 31, 2006

How many problems can be solved—in their entirety—by a single person, even over the course of a lifetime? That's what moral integrity—being an integrated person rather than a fragmented one—is all about. Don't focus on how little you can do, for that will depress you and destroy your moral motivation.

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Turkey Suffering Morals Animal Suffering 40

Animal Ethics

JULY 30, 2007

This arises from the fact that we have duties to animals and to infants. We had better therefore take the less complicated case of animals, which we commonly suppose not to be even potential moral agents. It may of course be denied that we have duties to animals. It is not at all clear which is the true view.

Animal Rights 40

Animal Rights Rights Animal Morals 40

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

Not in words, of course, but they can answer in ways that we can understand if we are paying attention. The idea that eggs from free-range chickens are somehow morally superior to other eggs is, frankly, weird. No one, Mr. Hurst and me included, wants animals to be subjected to unnecessary pain.

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New York Times New York Gestation Crates Gestation 40

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 24, 2006

Each semester when I teach Contemporary Moral Issues, on the first day of class I begin with a survey. One of the questions on the survey is: "Is it morally permissible to kill animals for fur coats?" One immediate consequence of the prima facie wrongness of causing animals to suffer is that it is ultima facie wrong (i.e.,

Fur 40

Fur Fur Industry HSUS Raccoons 40

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 6, 2007

The dark secret behind factory farm profits—cruel and inhumane animal husbandry—is getting out. Factory farmers treat animals inhumanely for no good reason. Since morally decent individuals oppose treating animals inhumanely for no good reason, factory farming is becoming an increasingly hard sell.

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Factory Factory Farm Factory Farming Gestation Crates 40

Animal Ethics

AUGUST 27, 2008

Thus Socrates turned his back on the great speculations about the nature of the universe and focused his whole attention on "the good for man" Twenty centuries later men lament that they pursue loneliness, and that their morals and politics lag dangerously behind their natural science. True Irrationality.

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Dolphins Non Human Humane Morals 40

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 2, 2008

Second, many of the things you can do to stop supporting animal cruelty—like not buying or wearing fur or fur trim—require minimal effort and no expense! Of course, since that is so easily accomplished, you may have already fully succeeded in carrying out that aspect of resolution 11 long ago. Do it for the animals.

Rights 40

Rights Animal Cruelty Vegan Cruelty 40

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 31, 2006

Second, many of the things you can do to stop supporting animal cruelty—like not buying or wearing fur—require minimal effort and no expense! Of course, since that is so easily accomplished, you may have already fully succeeded in carrying out that aspect of resolution 11 long ago. Join me in resolving to do right by animals in 2007.

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2007 Rights Animal Cruelty Cruelty 40