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Attack of the Drones

10,000 Birds

That’s what a group of French scientists recently examined— how birds react to drones , those remote-control robots increasingly flocking to our skies. The scientists hope this research will help guide ethical drone use around birds. Out of the corner of your eye, something menacing and not quite organic appears.

Morals 202
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J. J. C. Smart on the Moral Status of Animals

Animal Ethics

In the past I have been concerned to advocate a normative utilitarian theory from the point of view of a non-cognitivist meta-ethics. I assumed that Hume was right in thinking that ultimately morality depends on how we feel about things. I described the feelings to which I wished to appeal as "generalized benevolence."

Morals 40
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Moral Vegetarianism, Part 10 of 13

Animal Ethics

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. Suppose that tomorrow a group of beings from another planet were to land on Earth, beings who considered themselves as superior to you as you feel yourself to be to other animals. Tags: Moral Vegetarianism.

Morals 40
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On "Wild Justice"

Animal Person

" Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals ," By Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce, is the most recent (for me) book that debunks myths about the differences between human and nonhuman animals. Also, Bekoff and Pierce present a descriptive view, not a normative view of morality. There are no judgments.

Morals 100
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Moral Vegetarianism, Part 11 of 13

Animal Ethics

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. 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. Tags: Moral Vegetarianism. KBJ: I’m speechless.

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On "Compassion," "Nonviolence" and "Justice"

Animal Person

Both animal rights groups and animal welfare groups use "compassion" frequently. I especially like "justice" because it forces you to ask: "Is it morally right to enslave sentient nonhumans, rape them, take their babies and their lives on your own time and profit from them?" Tags: Activism Ethics Language. Is it fair?

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How to Know the Birds: The Art and Adventure of Birding – A Book Review

10,000 Birds

” The essays are arranged in thematic order grouped in six sections: “Spark Bird!” Many essays, especially in the later sections, end with a question, hopefully getting us to think more about questions of ethics, conservation, and the puzzles posed by nature. And, each essay tells a story.

Birds 115