Moral/ ethical duties
- More than just a feeling, needs to be backed up with reason but not science
- Direct: Animals have moral standings, they are members of our moral community
- Indirect: Animals do not have moral standing, they are not members of our moral community
Contractarianism
- Based on a contract or agreement between individuals
- Based on self-interest, treating others well because you want to be treated well
- Morality only applies to individuals who can enter into an agreement and keep it so animals are technically excluded
- Moral obligations towards animals are based on how much they matter to other humans (so they are indirect)
Utilitarianism
- Morality is based on consequences, humans should maximize pleasure and minimize pain
- Animals are included in the moral community since they can experience pleasure and pain as well
- Killing may be okay in some cases
- Weakness: Justice may not be done
Animal rights view
- Morality is based on rights that should be protected. These include the right to life and liberty
- Animals are included in the moral community since they are sentimental beings
- Inherent value cannot be used in calculations about consequences
- Killing is ONLY okay if it is in self defence
- Weaknesses: Sometimes it is hard to define harm and who has inherent values
Rational view(s) (Under contextual approach)
- Causing suffering is wrong because it demonstrates lack of care
- Duties to animals may be based on our emotional connections to them
- Very case specific
- Humans may be concerned about animals because of the negative effect that poor treatment of animals has on other humans
Respect for nature view
- Moral concern may be based on the potential extinction of species
- Animals deserve to be protected from extinction; we can kill outdoor cate because sometimes they harm birds
- Domestic animals are considered to be less valuable that wild animals
Bernard Rollin 2012
Two types of ethical theories: Theological and deontological
Theological
Utilitarian. Goodness and badness
Deontological theories
Animal rights: Based on the rightness and wrongness of actions
Science
Human treatment of animals from the animals perspective
Ethics
Human treatment of animals from the humans perspective
Law
Combination of ethics and science
Edenborough “Pig park”
First domestic pig park. Boar behaviour remained in quality, but not quantity
Included: Manure area, rooting area, activity area, nesting area and individual sow feeding stalls
5 freedoms
Freedom from hunger and thirst Freedom from discomfort Freedom from injury and disease Freedom to perform normal behaviour Freedom from fear and distress
World health definition for animal welfare considered
- How the animal is coping with their living situation
- The animal is not suffering from unpleasant states
- It is receiving adequate professional monitoring for all aspects of their health
