Animal Ethics

JANUARY 21, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. SOME PROBLEMS OF MORAL VEGETARIANISM With respect to traditional moral vegetarianism some problems immediately come to the fore. What animals is it morally wrong to eat? But what is the extent of the universal moral principle?

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Animal Person

AUGUST 5, 2009

The next argument is usually something along the lines of: But animals in the wild might starve to death, and get injured, maimed or killed by predators! Finally, people who object to our moral stance jump species and say we should object to the lion killing the gazelle. Yes, that's true. Besides, we have choices.

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10,000 Birds

AUGUST 12, 2015

Although lip service was paid to the fact that lions are endangered and a lion was poached, the language of anger was the language of animals rights. The killing of Cecil was equated with murder, a moral crime rather than a symptom of a ecological problem. This is of course an anathema for many in the animal rights camp.

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Animal Person

NOVEMBER 18, 2009

Because I've been thinking about the evolution of my own thinking--and languaging--regarding animal rights. Both animal rights groups and animal welfare groups use "compassion" frequently. Then again, so do people who kill animals for a living. After all, they "love" the animals they kill. The Nonviolent Carnivore"?

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Animal Person

MAY 28, 2009

One complaint many of us have with "liberals" and "progressives" is that they tend to leave veganism and animal rights out of their sphere of concern. The Morality Of Food (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com). Are Baby Boomers killing Facebook and Twitter? macworld.com). Is The Goode Family Good for the Environment? takepart.com).

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Animal Ethics

JUNE 7, 2016

In light of this horrible incident, is it right for the zoo to carry on a breeding program that subjects more animals to such unnatural lives? Further, did those who reacted so strongly to Harambe’s killing go home and serve meat to their children? Finally, what of the audience?

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10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 17, 2014

A new willingness among scientists to consider certain moral and ethical implications with respect to wild animals, where previously utilitarian ideas prevailed, including ideas of intrinsic value. ” This leads to obvious conflicts with the NAMWC prohibition against the frivolous killing and waste of wildlife.

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Animal Person

JUNE 20, 2009

And the absurdity is in the reality that the author and the featured person who kills sentient nonhumans for a living, think they're onto something. Seriously, folks, if you are going to respect someone, you're not going to hold them captive and kill them. It involves not killing them. Not eating them.

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Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 31, 2011

26), Seamus McGraw says he has a responsibility to kill deer because there are too many. He has volunteered to kill a deer cruelly, ineptly and with an outdated weapon that causes additional suffering to the deer. I’m tired of hearing people who enjoy killing justify it with specious moral platitudes.

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Animal Ethics

JANUARY 20, 2008

Ethical vegetarianism is the thesis that killing and eating animals is morally wrong whenever equally nutritious plant-based alternatives are available. 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.

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Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

If the goal is not moral perfection for ourselves, but the maximum benefit for animals, half-measures ought to be encouraged and appreciated. To the Editor: Soon after I read Gary Steiner’s article, my wife asked me to kill a spider, which I did. But even then if we were to survive we would have to kill some animals in self-defense.

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Animal Ethics

MARCH 3, 2008

Its validity is limited by other moral imperatives. The interests in nourishment and in gustatory pleasure lead man to kill and eat cattle, fish, and fowl. And I believe that in most cases man is morally justified in thus reducing the satisfactions of the food animals. But sound reason denies that love is the whole duty of man.

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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. Perhaps it is the industry's inability to evolve morally that is behind the times.

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Animal Ethics

MARCH 16, 2007

To inflict death or pain on animals for scientific or medical research is wrong morally, and ought to be prohibited. This follows from everything said in the text about the rights of animals. Franklin, Animal Rights and Moral Philosophy [New York: Columbia University Press, 2005], 125) Animals cannot give consent.

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Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 7, 2008

This is a moral principle, and states that 'the interests of every being affected by an action are to be taken into account and given the same weight as the like interests of any other being'. According to Singer , the principle of the equal consideration of interests 'requires us to be vegetarians'.

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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.

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Animal Ethics

JANUARY 20, 2007

Here are three paragraphs from a recent essay by Roger Scruton : As I suggested, science provides authority for this weird morality only when clothed in moral doctrine. The sleight of hand that gave us the “selfish” gene gives us the rights of baboons. And that explains, in part, the appeal of the animal-rights movement.

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Animal Person

JUNE 8, 2009

It's one that's brought on, no doubt, by the acts of vandalism and intimidation of radical animal-rights groups, but I think it also serves to insulate the research community from any responsibility it might otherwise have to increase transparency and public engagement with the work. It does not make them more or less a "tool."

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Animal Ethics

JUNE 17, 2011

It is asking the burger-stuffer to come clean ; to show just why it is that his greed should be indulged in this way, and just where he fits into the scheme of things, that he can presume to kill again and again for the sake of a solitary pleasure that creates and sustains no moral ties.

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Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 7, 2009

There are moral reasons to go vegetarian: recognition that it is wrong to contribute to unnecessary animal suffering the injustice of exploiting animals and killing them for no good reason If human have rights, then many nonhuman animals also have rights, and confining and killing these animals for food violates these rights.

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Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 6, 2007

A column entitled "Ag Industry Threatened by Animal Rights" appeared in today's High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal [ HPMAJ ]. Since morally decent individuals oppose treating animals inhumanely for no good reason, factory farming is becoming an increasingly hard sell. With successes like these, factory farmers do have cause for worry.

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Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 15, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. Most moral vegetarians list fish and fowl as animals one should not eat. The ability to feel pain is not an obviously plausible way of morally distinguishing microorganisms from other organisms. Killing a hog can be avoided.

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Animal Ethics

AUGUST 2, 2008

Since our food is delivered to us on a bun or in big bags of frozen parts, it’s easy to eat it and not think about what it was or how it was killed. 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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Animal Ethics

MAY 6, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. The Argument from Speciesism If there is some doubt whether the arguments from monkeys and from glass walls should be considered moral arguments, there can be no doubt about the moral import of the argument from speciesism.

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Animal Ethics

JUNE 4, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. Not only are they killed in cruel ways, but it is well documented that they are raised in ways that cause them great discomfort and agony. The question arises: Why should such indirect causal influence have any moral import?

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Animal Person

OCTOBER 26, 2009

There's not enough evidence for an accusation of moral relativism, but for me the message is a mixed one. But this plate also holds all of the animals that were killed for your serving of sushi. Killing an animal oneself is more often than not a way to forget the problem while pretending to remember. This is very silly.

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10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Kills in Canada, Alaska and Mexico are not included in the count. Texas and North Dakota together account for 88% of the total yearly kill of sandhill cranes. You may not agree with it… but for millions of people across this nation hunting is a moral thing to do. Isn’t that neat? Tennessee found that out in January.

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10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2013

I will address two of them in the new year, namely, “Is hunting moral at all?” In the past I have attributed some of this conflict to differences between the conservation mindset and that of animal rights/animal welfare. Teach only abstinence and teenagers won’t have sex and get pregnant.

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10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2024

The prinia will then claim that its current name – celebrating a morally very questionable person – is no longer acceptable in the modern world. Then again, why would anyone name a bird after a botanist, let alone one I only just made up right now? Personally, I wish the species the best of luck in this endeavor. (Of

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Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 24, 2006

Macy's should do the right thing and take out television and newspaper ads inviting anyone who purchased such a falsely-labeled jacket from any of its stores an opportunity to return the jackets for a full refund. Each semester when I teach Contemporary Moral Issues, on the first day of class I begin with a survey. But is it really?

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10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2022

The Lesser Coucals sometimes try to argue with Chestnut-winged Cuckoos about the morality of having other species raise their chicks (The Lesser Coucal Species Committee also likes to point out that the species neither invaded Ukraine nor ever voted for Donald Trump – they can be a bit boring in insisting on always being on the good side).

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