The Greatest Paradoxes Of The Modern Animal Rights Movement
analytical Essay
1776 words
With few exceptions, the history of the modern animal rights movement has been dominated by non-Christian philosophers, writers, and activists. Despite sympathy for prominent Christian figures like St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis, animal rights philosophy remains a thoroughly secular enterprise. Asserting that the difference between humans and animals is “a matter of degree and not of kind”, the animal rights movement often rests on a fundamentally anti-Christian anthropology in which the human person is regarded as the product of physical and biological processes, merely an advanced primate. (Francione 2010, 31). This, of course, highlights one of the greatest paradoxes of the animal rights movement. Arguing that we, human beings, …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Argues that the animal rights movement's history is dominated by non-christian philosophers like st. francis of assisi and pope francis.
- Explains that jeremy bentham's utilitarian "school" of normative ethics is a product of the "age of enlightenment".
- Compares deontological proponents of animal rights with utilitarianism. they argue that killing animals for food or using them in experiments is wrong, not because of some empirical calculation of total or average well-being.
- Argues that both utilitarianism and deontology ascribe moral rights to indisputably moral agents.
- Argues that christian theism isn't a human-centric worldview, but firmly grounded in the moral duties of human beings.
- Explains that although there is diversity among christians, both ancient and modern, over the specifics of human-animal relations, there unity is overwhelming. while st. francis of assisi is renowned for his love of animals, he was never a strict vegetarian.
The brain-child of Jeremy Bentham, utilitarianism is widely recognized, even by non-utilitarians like Martha Nussbaum, as having “contributed more than any other ethical theory” to the propagation of the animal rights movement and the “recognition that animal suffering is evil” (Wolfe 2008, 12). Predicated upon consequentialist ethics, utilitarianism holds that actions are morally right to the extent that they maximize happiness for the greatest number of persons, and wrong to the to the extent that they result in unhappiness for the greatest number of individuals (Mill 1879, 11). While deriding the so-called “ancient jurists”, who degrade animals into a “class of things”, Bentham’s school of utilitarianism provides a weak foundation for both human rights and “animal rights” (Steiner 2005, 163). Unlike both Christian theism and deontology, which recognize the fact that individuals are ends and not merely means, utilitarianism conceives of individuals, whether human or animal, as means that can be sacrificed upon the altar of utility. Hence, as many animal rights proponents recognize, utilitarianism “seems to have no way to rule out, on grounds of basic justice, the great pain and cruel treatment of some animals” (Wolfe 2008, 10). Even if modern utilitarians like Peter Singer state that “any rights possessed by all human beings, those rights are also possessed by non-human animals”, such “rights” essentially amount to nothing (Singer 1987, 3). Since utilitarians believe that “what is right or wrong depends on consequences”, and rights, by definition, require that the individual interest be protected “even if the consequences would weigh against that protection”, utilitarians generally reject the existence of rights (Francione 2010, 35). Additionally rejecting any sort of innate human
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the article argues for animal rights in which s mainly focus on one right, the right of animals not to be property.
- Analyzes how francione and charlton argue against the controversial wisdom about animals and towards animals not being property.
- Analyzes how francione and charlton's article "the case against pets" (2016) persuade the rights of animals not to be property. s argue their points well but can have counter-arguments against some points.
- Analyzes how gary l francione and anna e charlton's article argues for animal rights and the misconceptions people have towards the property of domesticated animals.
1030 wordsRead More - Peter Singer, And Tom Regan, Peter Singer And Aldo Leopoldanalytical essayAs an advocate of animal rights, Tom Regan presents us with the idea that animals deserve to be treated with equal respect to humans. Commonly, we view our household pets and select exotic animals in different regard as oppose to the animals we perceive as merely a food source which, is a notion that animal rights activists
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- Analyzes human obligation pertaining to all that is not man-made, apart from humans. environmentally ethical ideals hold a broad spectrum of perspectives that, not only attempt to identify problems, but also focus on how that problem is addressed.
- Analyzes how tom regan influenced the animal rights movement, arguing that animals deserve to be treated with equal respect to humans. his veganism answer is valid in developing a more ethical treatment of our animal friends.
- Analyzes how peter singer's edgier approach to environmental ethics harmonizes with utilitarianism. he believed that one born to pain and suffrage could not reach such pleasure.
- Analyzes how aldo leopold considered the causes and effects within the ecosystem, referred to as ecocentrism. he understood that each natural character nurtured another, hence, his biotic pyramid.
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- Explains that animal rights philosopher tom regan appeared on the late late show part 1 of 4. mitchell, helen. roots of wisdom.
- Explains singer, peter, a companion to ethics. oxford, uk: john wiley and sons, inc.
1133 wordsRead More - Animal Rights Essayanalytical essayAnimal rights have unequivocally been a major concern amongst humans for some time now. Animal rights are based on the notion that non-human animals should be allowed to live freely: free from abuse and suffering, as humans are. The extreme issue amongst humans is whether or not non-human animals have the capacity for rationality to deserve such equal consideration. When examining the issue of animal rights, one may have come to question one’s psyche on whether or not animal rights are ethical.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that animal rights are based on the notion that non-human animals should be allowed to live freely, free from abuse and suffering, as humans are.
- Explains aristotle's view of happiness as a physical pleasure or honor, which is misinterpreted because people are deficient in virtue. happiness is public, not private, so who we share it with is of great significance.
- Analyzes how plutarch argued that animals deserve ethical rights because they possess a conscious and are rational creatures and that non-human animals have intellectual traits, interests, and desires that deserve respect from mankind.
- Analyzes how david degrazia proposes his views on the moral status of animals in taking animals seriously: mental life and moral status.
- Analyzes how tom regan's the case for animal rights is the most intricate piece arguing for rights for non-human animals.
- Argues that some animal species understand the concept of "justice" and live by it.
- Argues that animals should be allowed to have a "negative right" not be harmed, even if they cannot claim "rights" because of any intellectual traits.
- Analyzes how steven m. wise argued for what one could strongly consider the final phase in the argument for justice for animals.
1660 wordsRead More - The Case for Animal Rightsanalytical essay"The Case For Animal Rights" written by Tom Regan, promotes the equal treatment of humans and non-humans. I agree with Regan's view, as he suggests that humans and animals alike, share the experience of life, and thus share equal, inherent value.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that tom regan's "the case for animal rights" promotes the equal treatment of humans and non-humans.
- Explains that regan argues that people tend to believe that animals are 'unaware' of pain, and because humans are capable of announcing when in pain. this type of thinking falls under the indirect duty views.
- Analyzes how regan introduces a second view, known as contractarianism, which identifies that humans are capable of accepting and practising moral doings and avoiding immoral acts.
- Analyzes how regan promotes the idea of kindness to all beings, but does not feel that this view provides proper support for the concept of inherent value.
- Explains that utilitarianism is by far the worst because it is based on the fact that sacrifice of one is morally acceptable, as long as it benefits many.
- Explains that regan proposes his view, the rights view. inherent value is the acceptance of all beings as equal to one another inspite of their gender, race, religion, sexuality, and the type of species.
- Agrees with tom regan's view of the rights view, as it explores the concept of equality and rightful treatment of animals and humans.
850 wordsRead More - Frey, R.G. "All Animals Are Not Equal."Animal Rights:Opposing Viewpoints. Leone,Bruno, Series Ed. San Diego, CA. Greenhouse Press.1996.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that penicillin is lethal to guinea pigs, deactivates the blood system of rabbits and is deadly to cats. scientists are pushing for more experiments regardless of the cost to the animal's life.
- Argues that animals suffering in experimentation labs are just and cruel to animals. it is wrong to harm an innocent animal of any wrong doing, when the animal doesn't know right from wrong
- Explains that charles fried claims physical harm as an impingement upon the body which either causes pain or impairs functioning. many animals experience pain, and sometimes death, during lab experiments.
- Defines vivisection as an invasive experiment performed on an animal for the purpose of scientific research, product testing or education.
- Opines that animal experiments are wrong because of the repulsive pain of electrodes planted in chimps' brains, and the tortured raccoon's death.
- Explains that more than five billion dollars of federal tax revenue are spent annually on animal research. animals, like the rest of nature, were understood not to have any sort of value except to bring enjoyment to lives.
- Explains that scientists test products on animals to see if they are safe. many companies use tests such as the draize test and the ld-50.
- Explains that draize test is used to measure the harmfulness of chemicals found in household products and cosmetics, by observing the damage they cause to the eyes and skin of animals.
- Explains that the lethal dose 50 test kills half of the test group. the animals that didn't die are killed.
- Explains that even with testing that the animal goes through, a reliable prediction is impossible to ascertain. pain is not the only side effect of experiments; psychological effects occur too.
- Opines that there should be ways to undo experiments that do not involve animals. if animal testing were to stop overall, would the research end?
- Explains that with in vitro (test tube) technologies, scientists can do chemical assay tests, tissue culture systems, cell and organ cultures, cloned human skin cells, mathematical models, and human volunteers.
- Opines that all wild animals have the right to liberty in their natural environment, whether land, air, or water, and should be allowed to procreate. depravation of freedom is an infringement of an animals right.
- Opines that animals were on this land before humans, so they have a right to be treated equally. if scientists keep on experimenting with animals, they may go extinct.
- Explains that animal experimentation is not justified. animal rights:opposing viewpoints. leone,bruno, san diego, ca. greenhouse press.
955 wordsRead More - An Analysis Of Ill-Gotten Gains, By Tom Regananalytical essay...nimal rights yet I do question myself where to draw the line. I do not condone violence or harm against animals, yet I shudder at the thought of a mice plague and feel saddened by the extinction of our native animals by ‘feral’ or pest species. Is it right to kill one species to save another? I am appalled by the idea of ‘circus’ animals yet I will attend the horse races every summer for my entertainment. I think Tom Regan’s argument and reasoning for animal rights was extremely effective at making whoever is reading the essay question his or her own moral standards. Reading the essay made me delve into my own beliefs, morals and values which I think is incredibly important. To form new attitudes as a society it is important we start questioning how we view the lives of others, do we see animals as a resource to be exploited or as equals with rights just like we do?
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the essay "ill-gotten gains" by tom regan, a renowned philosopher, author, and animal rights advocate.
- Explains that humans respond differently to experimental treatments, such as thalidomide, flencofenac, and penicillin. there are many alternatives to using animals for research.
- Opines that tom regan's argument and reasoning for animal rights was extremely effective at making whoever is reading the essay question his or her own moral standards.
727 wordsRead More - On Animal experimentsanalytical essayMost people would agree that animals have some kind of moral status. This presents a shift of view from past that animals had no moral status and respecting them was merely for protecting human property. Today, this question has evolved to how much moral status and what right animals have. (HOPES, 2010)
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many institutions use animal experiments to develop a new product or test the safety of medicines. the moral status of animals and the benefit are highly controversial parts of the concern.
- Opines that both sides of the question seem reasonable, but there are some faults in the statement. supporters of animal experiment consider animals inferior because they have no cognitive abilities.
- Explains that people have a biased view on moral status of animals. judging animals on their cognitive abilities is unjustified because of two reasons: one should not be judged by certain kinds of skill; some intelligence-challenged human, which may not have superior ability, are not considered subjects.
- Argues that animals have the same moral status as humans and that they deserve exact same treatment. they argue that granting animals less moral is simply a prejudice or "speciesism".
- Explains that animal experimentation is acceptable if the suffering for animals is minimized, refine the equipment so that animals would suffer less, and replace animal experiments by using alternative techniques.
- Describes the ethical aspects of animal experimentation, and narrates how hopes, neavs and stevens, a. and j.
665 wordsRead More - Nonhuman Animal Rightsanalytical essayIn regards to animals, the issue of rights and whether they exist becomes a touchy subject. In the essay, “Nonhuman Animal Rights: Sorely Neglected,” author Tom Regan asserts that animals have rights based upon inherent value of experiencing subjects of a life. Regan’s argument will first be expressed, later explained, and evaluated in further detail. Lastly, that fact that Regan thinks rights are harbored under the circumstance of being an experiencing subject of a life will also be discussed in terms of the incapacitated, etc.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how tom regan asserts that animals have rights based upon inherent value of experiencing subjects of a life.
- Analyzes how regan positively argues that both human and nonhuman individuals are experiencing subjects of a life. one's usefulness isn't an issue, and they have an equal right to be treated with respect.
- Analyzes regan's claim that both human and nonhuman individuals are experiencing subjects of a life.
- Analyzes how regan believes that an individual has an inherent value, a basic right that is equal amongst individuals.
- Analyzes how regan makes a comparison between the brain surgeon and the fruit vendor to show that certain individuals may have different abilities, talents, or skills, while also concluding that each is an experiencing subject of life with inherent value that is equal.
- Argues that if rights are denounced, one is being acted on immorally and unethically. regan believes that all experiencing subjects of a life have equal inherent value that asserts that said being has rights.
- Analyzes how regan argues that animals have/should have rights because of having inherent value since they are experiencing subjects of a life, but forgot to reciprocate his argument in the eyes of the opposition.
1245 wordsRead More - The Debate On Animal Rightsexplanatory essayBackground: The debate on animal rights cannot be easily compared to other movements due to its unique methods of attracting sensational attention and then dying down after a short time in the spotlight. Concern about the wellbeing of animals has played a significant role in society for a long time. The movement gained most attention in the nineteen-seventies and has gradually developed into a larger effort in more modern times. Earlier in the growth of the animal rights concerns there were few main focuses that grabbed the attention of the public causing the formation of the movement.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the debate on animal rights cannot be easily compared to other movements due to its unique methods of attracting sensational attention and dying down after a short time in the spotlight.
- Explains that each category of animal rights has specific organizations dedicated to helping advertise and raise awareness and money for the individual cause.
- Explains how educating people about animal rights is approached by many organizations by using supporting evidence such as a typifying example. cecil the lion's death from the hwange national park in zimbabwe was labeled animal abuse.
- Explains the use of warrants to address the topic of animal rights. warrants can also be protests or demonstrations against the harming of animals.
- Explains that media coverage of animal rights is unique in the sense that it is dependent on public opinion and actions.
- Explains that many animal rights movements use public opinion pools, sample surveys, and social media posts to judge how the public reacts to claims that have been made regarding animal rights.
- Explains that moore's chart is based on the public support on animal rights. results from the chart reveal that women generally are more in favor of having animals than men.
- Explains that the results of the poll show a specific support for animal rights. policymaking is an important aspect in the fight for animals.
1616 wordsRead More - The Fight for Animal Rightsopinion essayAnimal rights are a fragile issue that goes back and forth between people often with so many different beliefs and ways of viewing things. A major question in animal rights is; are animals entitled to the possession of their own lives and their everyday basic needs? With opinions on this topic based on research and tests, opposers to animals having rights over their life are not taking into consideration that animals live just like us humans but we cannot physically communicate with them. It is unfair that because of lack of communication animals are killed all around the world for the use of their skin because of our selfish need to wear animal fur.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that animal rights are a fragile issue that goes back and forth between people with so many different beliefs and ways of viewing things. they argue that opposers to animals having rights over their lives are not taking into consideration that animals live just like humans but we cannot physically communicate with them.
- Explains that when an animal is chosen to be skinned they are either killed by gassing, neck breaking or electrocution. according to the humane society of the united states 67 million home owners also have pets.
- Opines that animal experimentation rests on a logical contradiction. they ask experimenters why they experiment on animals, and the answer is: "because the animals are like us."
- Explains that peta (people for ethical treatment of animals) is one of the world's largest animal rights organizations and has acquired retailers and brands to stop the use of animal furs.
- Explains that peta's "rather go naked" campaign encourages celebrities to wear their own skin and go naked rather than wearing animal skins. chad ochocinco, pamela anderson, kat von d, and khloe kardashian promote animal cruelty awareness.
- Explains that the fashion industry has recently tried to claim their use of fur as "green" and "ethical", this statement is trying to change their fur trades public image.
- Analyzes how tom ford, a huge designer in the fashion industry, is wrongly advertising fur as an important luxury that lets people experience something that isn't harmful on the planet.
- Opines that fur has turned into a symbol of high society. the consumer market should be more aware of the science behind their purchase.
- Opines that the continuing use of fur is still a real problem in the fashion industry and that people assuming that fur trim is fake when most of it is real.
- Concludes that the fashion industry's outlook on the use of fur needs to be changed forever.
661 wordsRead More