10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

In responding to Suzie’s post defending wildlife rehabilitation I began to think again about the areas in which animal rights and animal welfare overlap with the field of conservation, and the ways in which they don’t. And people that work in either conservation or animal welfare tend to like animals.

Animal Rights 257

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 257

Animal Ethics

JULY 24, 2012

Because animals are sentient (i.e., can experience pleasure and pain) and because they not only have but can act on their preferences, any view that holds that pleasures or pains, or preference-satisfactions or frustrations matter morally is bound to seem attractive to those in search of the moral basis for the animal rights movement.

Los Angeles 40

Los Angeles Animal Rights Movement Factory Farm Factory Farming 40

Animal Ethics

OCTOBER 23, 2009

When it is asked whether animals have rights, and whether human beings have duties to them, the question, I think, is partly moral and partly verbal. It is this latter view, I believe, that is in the minds of some of those who deny that animals have rights. Let us consider the moral question first.

Animal Rights 40

Animal Rights Rights Animal Cruelty 40

Animal Person

AUGUST 16, 2011

Hal Herzog’s “ Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat ” (Harper 2011), though fascinating, is ultimately depressing for vegans and animal rights activists. Over at Animal Rights and AntiOppression , we’ve been discussing tactics and sharing our thoughts and experiences about what works and doesn’t work when it comes to advocacy.

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Vegan Morals Animal Rights Advocacy 100

Animal Person

APRIL 26, 2009

Vamsee Juluri, Professor of Media Studies at the University of San Francisco, takes me back to graduate school when he writes of the importance of the stories we tell ourselves in " Use Free Speech to Celebrate Animal Life, Not to Enjoy Their Suffering." They certainly depict cruelty to animals, right? What do you think?

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San Francisco Cruelty Vivisection Open Rescue 100

Animal Person

MAY 9, 2009

My self-appointed job in this blog is to think critically about how our human lives intersect with those of sentient nonhumans, in action and thought. In this game, the object is to pluck live lobsters out of the water with a joystick-controlled crane."

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Advocacy Game Slaughter Slaughtered 100

Animal Person

NOVEMBER 21, 2010

It has entertaining stories, includes animals people care about because they like them (and also addresses that concept), and it describes how the numbers of various species decreased to the point of being classified as "endangered" or worse. if we believe it's our right to do what we want with the lives of other animals. . . .

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Polar Bears California Condor Bald Eagle Lions 100

Animal Ethics

JULY 8, 2012

The central case of cruelty appears to be the case where, in Locke's apt phrase, one takes "a seeming kind of Pleasure" in causing another to suffer. Some cruel people do not feel pleasure in making others suffer. Let us term this sadistic cruelty. Indeed, they seem not to feel anything.

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Cruelty Los Angeles Suffering Inhumane 40

Animal Ethics

JULY 7, 2009

The Argument from Animal Rights A stronger argument is made by people who maintain that animals have rights. In particular, it has been argued that animals have a right to life. So, even if animals are killed painlessly and raised for food in humane ways, it is wrong to kill them.

Morals 40

Morals Vegetarian Suffering Killing 40

Animal Person

MAY 30, 2009

Let's deconstruct: The interview reminds me of how the industry views us and how little they know about the community of people who care about the lives of the animals brought into this world for one reason only: to kill and eat them. The Humane Society of the United States is the big bully on this strange playground. "The

Veal Crate 100

Veal Crate HSUS Vegan Gestation Crates 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2012

Today I’m exploring a couple questions that have been bouncing in my head for a while…I’d love to hear your thoughts…I’m not calling into question animal rights, just the focus of the movement. – The Great Ornithologist Felonious Jive Animal rights. This makes perfect sense.

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Animal Rights Movement Animal Rights Rights Wildlife 202

Animal Person

MAY 26, 2010

I think this is why I understand the thinking of people who don't want us to use animals but who promote changing the way we use them to decrease their numbers or their suffering. I understand the impulse to do " something " that alters the number of animals created to be used and killed and the suffering of the ones created.

Vegan 100

Vegan Suffering Free Range Animal 100

Animal Ethics

MAY 4, 2008

There is no inconsistency in rejecting plant rights while accepting animal rights. 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.

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Rights Animal Rights Movement Morals Ethical Treatment 40

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 28, 2008

From this perspective, the animal-rights debate seems considerably less urgent and a relatively "safe" area of controversy. From this perspective, the animal-rights debate seems considerably less urgent and a relatively "safe" area of controversy.

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Fox Animal Liberation For Animals Animal 40

Animal Ethics

MARCH 11, 2007

Animals as well as humans can suffer pain, deprivation, and unwanted death. An exception for vegetables is thus consistent with the categorical imperative; an exception for humans with respect to eating animals is not. Vegetables cannot.

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Unwanted Animal 2005 Morals 40

Animal Ethics

AUGUST 2, 2008

We pay lip service to more humane treatment of the animals that we eat, but how many of us look beyond the label on the package of chicken cutlets? Kristof’s thoughtful exploration of animal rights, I was astonished to read that he continues to eat animals, like geese and pigs, for which he obviously has such affection and respect.

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New York Times New York Factory Farm Factory Farming 40

Animal Person

JUNE 8, 2009

(You can buy some extra time by presoaking the animal in a basin of ice water.)" For Engber, who dispassionately describes procedures most of the time, the "advances" in the medical care of humans are all well worth what he and other vivisectionists do to dogs and other sentient nonhumans. It "guarantees humane treatment?"

Animal Welfare 100

Animal Welfare Monkeys Animal Welfare Act Vivisection 100

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 20, 2008

Virtually everyone agrees that: (1) It is wrong to cause a conscious sentient animal to suffer for no good reason. Causing an animal to suffer for no good reason is cruel, and our ordinary commonsense morality tells us in no uncertain terms that cruelty is wrong. Cohen, The Animal Rights Debate , p.

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Vegetarian Meat Lacto-Ovo Ethics 40

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 6, 2007

A column entitled "Ag Industry Threatened by Animal Rights" appeared in today's High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal [ HPMAJ ]. The column, which you can read here , is a call to arms to factory farmers to fight back against those individuals and organizations working to protect farm animals from the abuses inherent in factory farms.

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Factory Factory Farm Factory Farming Gestation Crates 40

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 18, 2006

Currently, I do not believe that killing an animal is prima facie morally wrong. I simply believe that when animals are killed it ought to be for a good purpose, and in a manner that is respectful to their capacity to suffer. I do not believe that the current factory farm system in place lives up to both of those standards.

Factory Farm 40

Factory Farm Factory Farming Morals Factory 40

Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 30, 2009

The Argument from Human Grain Shortage All of the clearly moral arguments for vegetarianism given so far have been in terms of animal rights and suffering. New moral vegetarianism, however, rests on moral arguments couched in terms of human welfare.

Vegetarian 40

Vegetarian Morals Meat Cattle 40

Animal Person

MARCH 29, 2009

And human psychology says that humans are far more social than rational creatures. And that means for the animal rights movement: Social entities like compassion, empathy and suffering are very important factors to motivate humans to change their behaviour. If I am understanding this correctly. ).

Psychology 100

Psychology Campaign Animal Rights Movement Suffering 100

Animal Ethics

JUNE 4, 2009

In fact, animals used for food do suffer a great deal. Now there is no doubt that the actual treatment of animals used for food is immoral, that animals are made to suffer needlessly. One argument is this: The present practice of treating animals used for food is immoral and should be changed.

Vegetarian 40

Vegetarian Morals Protest Protesting 40

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 15, 2009

If some microorganisms must be killed in the process, this is unfortunate but necessary for human life. Why should microorganisms be sacrificed rather than humans? Why is human life more valued than the life of microorganisms? One might be inclined to say that human beings are more valuable because of their intelligence.

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Morals Vegetarian Meat Killing 40