2011/2012 Sept/Oct LD Topic: Animal Rights

Cost: 25.00

About the Product

Author(s) and/or Contributor(s): Conor Doherty, Ryan Hamilton, Dave McGinnis, Adam Torson, Peter van Elswyk, Nathan Zerbib-Berda
Description: Topic Analysis Essays and Evidence on the Sept/Oct Animal Rights Topic. Issues discussed include arguments for recognizing animals’ moral interests, policy issues pertaining to animal rights such as factory farming and animal experimentation, and affirmative and negative strategies.

File Index
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2
TOPIC ANALYSIS BY CONOR DOHERTY 8
TOPIC ANALYSIS BY RYAN HAMILTON 20
TOPIC ANALYSIS BY DAVE MCGINNIS 26
TOPIC ANALYSIS BY ADAM TORSON 33
TOPIC ANALYSIS BY NATHAN ZERBIB-BERDA 44
DEFINITIONAL & FRAMEWORK EVIDENCE 51
AFFORDING ANIMALS MORAL RIGHTS GIVES THEM AN ABSOLUTE CLAIM THAT CANNOT BE VIOLATED ON THE BASIS OF HUMAN NEED, CONTEXT OR CULTURE 51
APPLYING MORAL CONCEPTS TO ANIMALS RESTS ON CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF ANIMAL COGNITION 51
PHENOMENAL CONSCIOUSNESS REFERS TO THE ABILITY TO EXPERIENCE REALITY IN A MANNER DISTINCTIVE OF A GIVEN TYPE OF CREATURE 52
SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS REFERS TO A CREATURE’S ABILITY TO REFLECT ON ITS OWN MENTAL STATES 52
FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT CONSCIOUSNESS REFLECTS A PHYSICAL PHENOMENON, THE QUESTION OF ANIMAL CONSCIOUSNESS IS EMPIRICAL 53
EXPERIMENTS IN ANIMAL CONSCIOUSNESS HAVE BEEN INCONCLUSIVE, BUT THE MORE RELIABLE STUDIES RELY ON SPECIES-APPROPRIATE NATURAL SOCIAL INTERACTIONS 53
THE ABILITY TO SENSE NOXIOUS STIMULI IS NOT THE SAME AS THE ABILITY TO EXPERIENCE PAIN 54
ANTHROPOMORPHISM IS THE ATTRIBUTION OF HUMAN TRAITS TO NON-HUMAN ANIMALS 54
THERE IS NO CONSENSUS ON WHAT IT MEANS FOR ANIMALS TO BE RATIONAL 54
HISTORICALLY PHILOSOPHERS HAVE DISCOUNTED THE MORAL INTERESTS OF ANIMALS 55
AFFIRMATIVE EVIDENCE 56
SPECIES MEMBERSHIP IS MORALLY ARBITRARY 56
IT IS DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY CAPACITIES THAT ARE UNIQUELY HUMAN 57
RATIONAL PERSONHOOD CANNOT BE NECESSARY FOR THE RECOGNITION OF MORAL INTERESTS 58
BECAUSE ANIMALS EXPERIENCE LIFE IN MANY OF THE SAME WAYS THAT HUMANS DO, THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN MORAL CONSIDERATION 58
RATIONAL CAPACITY RECOGNIZES THE NORMATIVE VALUE OF NATURAL DESIRES. INSOFAR AS NON-RATIONAL CREATURES CAN EXPERIENCE THESE DESIRES, THEIR MORAL INTERESTS SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED 59
UTILITARIANS MAINTAIN THAT PROMOTING PLEASURE AND DECREASING PAIN ARE THE TOUCHSTONES OF MORAL PRACTICE, NOT RATIONAL CAPACITY 59
BECAUSE ANIMALS TRY TO AVOID SUFFERING, THEIR MORAL INTERESTS OUGHT TO BE RECOGNIZED 60
FACTORY FARMING CAUSES MORE SUFFERING THAN WOULD ITS ABOLITION 60
RESPECTING THE MORAL INTERESTS OF ANIMALS UNDER UTILITARIANISM DOES NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRE VEGETARIANISM 61
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT ANIMALS HAVE MORALLY RELEVANT INTERESTS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY CANNOT BE TRUMPED BY MORE WEIGHTY INTERESTS 61
RESPECTING ANIMALS’ MORAL INTERESTS REQUIRES PROHIBITING MANY TYPES OF ANIMAL RESEARCH 62
DISREGARD OF THE MORAL INTERESTS OF ANIMALS IS NOT VIRTUOUS 63
DISREGARD FOR THE MORAL INTERESTS OF ANIMALS IS PART OF THE LOGIC OF DOMINATION THAT SUBJUGATES WOMEN 64
DUALISM, THE BELIEF THAT THE MIND IS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT FROM PHYSICAL SUBSTANCES, CANNOT PROVE THAT ANIMALS LACK CONSCIOUSNESS 64
THOSE WHO VIEW CONSCIOUSNESS AS PART OF SPECIFIC NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTIONS TEND TO BELIEVE THAT SOME ANIMALS HAVE PHENOMENAL CONSCIOUNESS 65
CHIMPANZEES ARE SELF-AWARE 65
SIMILARITIES IN BEHAVIOR DEMONSTRATING SIMILAR EXPERIENCES BETWEEN HUMAN AND NON-HUMAN ANIMALS ARE READILY OBSERVABLE 66
NEUROLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SIMILARITY REVEALED IN ANIMAL TESTING GIVES US GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT NON-HUMAN ANIMALS HAVE MORALLY RELEVANT EXPERIENCES ANALOGOUS TO HUMAN EXPERIENCES 66
DETERMINING WHETHER ANIMALS ARE CONSCIOUS IS NOT A MATTER OF DETERMINING SOME OBJECTIVE PHYSICAL FACT. RATHER IT IS ABOUT WHETHER WE INTERPRET ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND EXPERIENCE AS SENTIENT OR NON-SENTIENT 67
VARIOUS SCIENTIFIC STUDIES SUGGEST THAT VERTEBRATES CAN FEEL PAIN 67
STUDIES SHOW THAT MAMMALS NOT ONLY FEEL PAIN BUT EXPERIENCE EMOTIONAL SUFFERING AS A RESULT 68
VETERINARY PRACTICE REFLECTS THE GROWING BELIEF THAT ANIMAL PAIN CAN BE RELIABLY DETECTED, PREVENTED, AND TREATED 68
THERE IS TENTATIVE EVIDENCE THAT THE GREAT APES ARE SELF-AWARE 69
SCIENCE HAS A BUILT-IN BIAS AGAINST FINDING MEANINGFUL COGNITION IN NON-HUMAN ANIMALS 69
CHIMPANZEES USE TOOLS 70
VARIOUS NON-HUMAN ANIMALS ARE ABLE TO USE TOOLS 70
BABOONS’ POSSESSION OF COMPLEX SOCIAL KNOWLEDGE SHOWS THAT THEY POSSESS THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND EMPLOY CONCEPTS 71
THERE ARE A VARIETY OF APPROACHES WHICH SUGGEST THAT ANIMALS PRACTICE A FORM OF MORALITY 72
CHIMPANZEES ENGAGE IN SOCIAL COOPERATION 72
BECAUSE ANIMALS CAN EXPERIENCE PLEASURE AND PAIN, UTILITARIANISM REGARDS THEM AS HAVING MORALLY RELEVANT INTERESTS 73
THE TRANSITION COSTS TO ELIMINATING FACTORY FARMING ARE SHORT TERM, WHEREAS THE SUFFERING SPARED IN IS POTENTIALLY INDEFINITE 73
THE UTILITARIAN MORAL REQUIREMENT TO BE A VEGETARIAN HOLDS EVEN IF ONE PERSON CAN’T BE CERTAIN OF MAKING A DIRECT DIFFERENCE 73
IDIOSYNCRATIC ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND THE STRESS CREATED BY THE LABORATORY SETTING OFTEN MEAN THAT MEDICAL TESTING ON ANIMALS IS MISLEADING TO RESEARCHERS 74
THE PROCESS OF SIMULATING HUMAN PATHOLOGY IN ANIMALS MAKES ANIMAL RESEARCH UNRELIABLE 74
ANIMAL MEDICAL TESTING HAS A LONG HISTORY OF MISLEADING TEST RESULTS 75
ANIMAL STRESS IN LABORATORY SETTINGS MAKES TESTING DISTORTS THE RESULTS OF MEDICAL TESTING ON ANIMALS 76
THE DIFFERENCES IN HUMAN AND ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY HAVE LED TO MANY MISLEADING FINDING IN ANIMAL RESEARCH WITH DANGEROUS HEALTH CONSEQUENCES 76
THERE ARE A VARIETY OF EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO MEDICAL TESTING ON ANIMALS 77
MODERN PRACTICES IN MEDICAL RESEARCH HAVE ESSENTIALLY ELIMINATED THE NEED FOR ANIMAL TESTING 77
CITING ANIMAL TESTING IS OFTEN A RHETORICAL DEVICE USED BY RESEARCHERS DESPITE THE INCONCLUSIVE NATURE OF ANIMAL STUDIES 77
THE PAST SUCCESSES CLAIMED BY PROPONENTS OF ANIMAL RESEARCHERS ARE ILLUSORY 78
UTILITARIANS LIKE PETER SINGER BELIEVE THAT ANIMAL SUFFERING SHOULD BE AVOIDED JUST LIKE HUMAN SUFFERING 78
THE ARGUMENT THAT HUMANS MAY USE OTHER CREATURES BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE ADVANCED ON AN EVOLUTIONARY SCALE COMMITS THE NATURALISTIC FALLACY 79
PUBLIC AND SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT FOR ANIMAL TESTING HAS FALLEN OVER TIME 79
OPPOSITION TO ANIMAL TESTING DOES NOT CORRELATE TO LACK OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE 79
BEHAVIORISTIC ASSUMPTIONS IN ANIMAL TESTING ENCOURAGE INTERPRETING ANIMAL BEHAVIOR IN TERMS OF INSTINCTIVE REACTIONS, WHICH IN TURN PROVIDES RESEARCHERS PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE 80
EXPERIMENTERS OFTEN FAIL TO ADMINISTER SUFFICIENT PARALYTIC DRUGS TO ANIMAL TEST SUBJECTS 80
THERE IS OFTEN INSUFFICIENT DISCUSSION OF ETHICAL ISSUES IN LABORATORY SETTINGS 81
THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL INCIDENTAL ADVANTAGES TO ADOPTING A VEGETARIAN DIET 81
THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS USED IN LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS IS GOING DOWN FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS 82
SINCE THE 1960S GOVERNMENTS HAVE INVESTED SUBSTANTIAL SUMS TO INVENT ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL TESTING 82
NOT ONLY DOES KANTIANISM ALLOW ROOM FOR ANIMALS; IT IS MORE STRICT THAN UTILITARIANISM 83
KANTIANISM DOES ALLOW ROOM FOR EXTENDING RESPONSIBILITY TO ANIMALS 84
JUSTICE SHOULD BE EXPANDED BEYOND HUMANS 85
ANIMALS ACT JUSTLY 85
ANIMALS ENGAGE IN INEQUITY AVERSION 86
ANIMALS CAN MAKE EVALUATIVE JUDGMENTS 86
A2: NUSSBAUM’S EMPATHY ARG 87
A2: NUSSBAUM’S EMPATHY ARG 87
THE VEIL OF IGNORANCE SHOULD APPLY TO ANIMALS 88
IF ANIMALS WERE INCLUDED BEHIND THE VEIL, JUSTICE WOULD REQUIRE THE RECOGNITION OF ANIMAL RIGHTS 89
A2: FAIRNESS ARGUMENTS 89
A2: CARRUTHERS 90
A2: SCANLON’S TYPE ARGUMENT 90
SPECIES MEMBERSHIP IS MORALLY IRRELEVANT 91
KANT’S VIEW REQUIRES DIRECT DUTY TO ANIMALS 91
A2: CARRUTHERS 92
A2: CARRUTHERS 93
AN ANIMAL CAN SUFFER; THUS THEY DESERVE MORAL ATTENTION 94
THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS DISPROVE THAT MEMBERSHIP IS A SPECIES IS SUFFICIENT/NECESSARY FOR MORAL COMMUNITY 95
A2: SCANLON 96
A2: FINNIS AND SCANLON 97
THE DEBATE OVER ANIMAL RIGHTS IS A DEBATE OVER HAVING SUFFICIENT ENOUGH REASON TO CAUSE PAIN 97
ANIMALS ARE ETHICAL; RATIONALITY IS UNNECESSARY 98
JUSTICE IS NOT A HUMAN INVENTION; ALL SPECIES HAVE JUSTICE 98
A2: SCRUTON’S “UNTIMELY DEATH” ARGUMENT 99
A2: SOCIAL CONTRACT 99
A2: SUPERIOR COGNITIVE ABILITY ARGUMENTS 100
A2: INTRINSIC WORTH ARGUMENTS 100
A2: BIOLOGICAL COMMONALITY GIVES US A SUPERIOR STATUS 100
GREAT APES ARE REALLY SMART GUYS 101
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BEINGS DOES NOT LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY ARE NOT EQUAL. 101
PRESUME AFF IF YOU’RE NOT CERTAIN THAT THEY DON’T HAVE RIGHTS BECAUSE THE MORAL COSTS OF BEING WRONG ARE GIGANTIC 102
FACTORY FARMING IS THE FASTEST GROWING METHOD OF FOOD PRODUCTION WORLDWIDE 102
THE WORLD BANK RECOGNIZES THAT FACTORY FARMING IS A DANGER TO THE POOR, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND TO FOOD SECURITY 103
FACTORY FARMING IS CHARACTERIZED BY CRUELTY TO ANIMALS 103
WE TURN A BLIND EYE TO FACTORY FARMING FOR A VARIETY OF SELFISH REASONS 104
WE USE EUPHEMISMS TO DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM THE SUFFERING IMPOSED BY FACTORY FARMING 105
NEGATIVE EVIDENCE 106
PERSONHOOD IS THE CORE SOURCE OF MORALITY 106
HUMANS ARE MORALLY DISTINCT BECAUSE THEY POSSESS SELF-REFLECTIVE REASON 107
WE SHOULD BE KIND TO ANIMALS NOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE RIGHTS BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE DUTIES TO MAINTAIN HUMANE MORAL SENSIBILITIES IN GENERAL AS THESE MAY IMPLICATE HOW WE ACT TOWARD PERSONS 108
IT IS INCORRECT TO ARGUE THAT DENYING THE MORAL WORTH OF NON-RATIONAL ANIMALS REQUIRES US TO DO THE SAME FOR NON-RATIONAL HUMANS. BEINGS WHICH HAVE A RATIONAL NATURE ARE DUE MORAL RESPECT 108
SOME THEORISTS WHO BELIEVE THAT CREATURES ARE NOT CONSCIOUS UNLESS THEY CAN REFLECT ON THEIR OWN MENTAL STATES CONCLUDE THAT NON-HUMAN ANIMALS ARE NOT CONSCIOUS 109
IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO CONCLUDE THAT HUMANS AND ANIMALS ARE COGNITIVELY SIMILAR BY POINTING TO A FEW INSTANCES OF SIMILARITY 109
THE FACT THAT ANIMALS ARE AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY ARE SENTIENT 110
THE PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITION HAS GENERALLY REGARDED ANIMALS AS IRRATIONAL 110
THE FACT THAT ANIMALS LACK LANGUAGE MEANS THAT SCIENCE IS NOT ABLE TO MEANINGFULLY ASCRIBE ADVANCED COGNITION TO EXPLAIN THEIR BEHAVIOR 110
SCIENTISTS LACK IMAGINATION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO EXPLAIN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND ARE THEREFORE LIKELY TO FALSELY ATTRIBUTE HIGH-LEVEL COGNITION WHERE NONE EXISTS 111
SCIENTISTS PREFER TO FIND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN NON-HUMAN AND HUMAN COGNITION, AND THIS BIASES THE RESULTS OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH 111
BECAUSE ANIMALS CANNOT UNDERSTAND THAT BELIEFS CAN BE OBJECTIVELY TRUE AND FALSE, THEY CANNOT HAVE BELIEFS AT ALL 112
WE CANNOT SAY THAT ANIMALS HAVE BELIEFS BECAUSE IT REQUIRES US TO ASSUME MORE THAN WE CAN PROVE ABOUT THE NATURE OF THOSE BELIEFS 112
MEDICAL RESEARCH ON ANIMALS CAN BE EFFECTIVELY REGULATED BY WEIGHING THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF THE RESEARCH AGAINST THE COST OF USING THE ANIMALS AND STANDARDIZING RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH PRACTICES 113
THE PUBLIC SUPPORTS THE USE OF MEDICAL TESTING ON ANIMALS SO LONG AS THERE ARE REASONABLE LIMITS 113
WHILE MEDICAL DATA CAN BE MISLEADING, MOST DOCTORS AGREE THAT IT IS A VALUABLE SCIENTIFIC RESOURCE IF KEPT IN THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE 114
MULTIPLE INDEPENDENT INQUIRIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM HAVE CONCLUDED THAT ANIMAL TESTING IS AN IMPORTANT MEDICAL TOOL AND INTEREST GROUPS CAMPAIGNING AGAINST IT OFTEN EMPLOY FALSE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION 114
UK RESEARCHERS HAVE DECREASED THE PROPORTION OF THEIR RESEARCH CONDUCTED THROUGH ANIMAL TESTING, INDICATING THAT THERE ARE NOT VIABLE ALTERNATIVES FOR THE PROCEDURES IN WHICH ANIMALS ARE USED 115
ANIMAL TESTING IS NECESSARY FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLICATE THE COMPLICATED PHYSIOLOGY OF LARGE LIVING CREATURES 115
MEDICAL TESTING ON ANIMALS WAS ESSENTIAL TO LOUIS PASTEUR’S EARLY BREAKTHROUGHS IN BACTERIOLOGY 116
ANIMAL TESTING WAS KEY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SULFONAMIDE DRUGS 117
FAILURE TO USE ANIMAL TESTING DELAYED THE USE OF PENICILLIN 117
ANIMAL TESTING HAS BEEN VITAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANY ADVANCED MEDICAL PROCEDURES 118
ANIMAL RIGHTS PROPAGANDA CITING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HUMAN AND ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AS A REASON TO ABANDON ANIMAL TESTING IS INACCURATE 119
HUMAN AND ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY IS SUFFICIENTLY SIMILAR TO JUSTIFY MEDICAL TESTING ON ANIMALS 119
MODERN EXPERIMENTORS DETERMINE APPROPRIATE POINTS TO EUTHENIZE TEST SUBJECTS TO AVOID UNNECESSARY SUFFERING 120
A UTILITARIAN VIEW ALLOWS MORAL INTERESTS TO BE WEIGHED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER AND THEREFORE IS NOT THE EQUIVALENT OF GIVING ANIMALS RIGHTS 120
SYMPATHY-BASED THEORIES HAVE ABSURD CONSEQUENCES 120
INTERPRETING ANIMALS AS IF THEY HAVE PAIN ISN’T ENOUGH 121
THAT ANIMALS FEEL PAIN IS IRRELEVENT; WHAT MATTERS IS IF ANIMALS HAVE PROPOSITIONAL ATTITUDES RELEVANT TO THEIR PAIN 121
ANIMALS SHOULDN’T BE CONSIDERED BEHIND THE VEIL 122
ANIMALS SHOULDN’T BE CONSIDERED BEHIND THE VEIL 122
CONTRACTUALISM ENTAILS THAT ANIMALS DO NOT HAVE ANY MORAL SIGNIFICANCE 123
CONTRACTUALISTS WOULDN’T BE REQUIRED TO NOT GIVE MORAL STANDING TO THE ELDERLY AND SICK 124
SPECIESISM KEY TO ACTING MORALLY AND FULFILLING OBLIGATIONS 124
SPECIESISM IS NOT AKINT O OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION; PEOPLE MATTER, ANIMALS 125
MORAL AGENTS CAN KNOWINGLY BREAK RULES; ANIMALS CANNOT KNOWINGLY BREAK RULES 125
MORAL BEHAVIOR AMONG ANIMALS IS IRRELEVENT; THEY ARE NOT AUTONOMOUS AGENTS 125
BEING ALIVE IS NOT A SUFFICIENT CONDITION FOR HAVING RIGHTS 126
ANIMALS HAVE NO RIGHTS 126
SUMMARY OF KANT’S ARG FOR WHY ANIMALS ARE OWED NOTHING 126
ANIMALS ARE NOT MORAL AGENTS 127
ANIMALS ARE NOT AWARE OF THEIR EVALUATIVE ATTITUDES 127
THE ANIMAL RIGHTS TRADITION IS TOO ATOMISTIC AND AT ODDS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS 128
PERSONS ARE THOSE THAT CAPABLE OF A CONCEPTION OF GOOD AND WHICH HAVE A SENSE OF JUSTICE 129
RAWLS’S DEFINITION EXCLUDES ANIMALS 130
MORAL DEFIANCE IS WHAT DISTINGUISHES HUMANS 131
A2: MARGINAL CASE ARGUMENT 132
ANIMALS DO NOT HAVE RIGHTS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE JUDGEMENT-SENSITIVE ATTITUDES 133
A2: MARGINAL CASE ARGUMENTS 133
HUMAN LIVES ARE, COMPARATIVELY, BETTER THAN ANIMAL LIVES 134
HUMANS UNIQUELY HAVE LONG-RANGE DESIRES, WHICH GIVES THEM MORE VALUE 134
ANIMALS LIVES LACK A NARRATIVE UNITY WHICH GIVES VALUE 135
ANIMALS HAVE NO DESERT, SO WE OWE THEM LESS 135
ANIMAL SUFFERING IS NOT AS SIGNIFICANT AS HUMAN SUFFERING 136
HUMANS ARE DIFFERENT FROM ANIMALS 136
A2: HUMANS ARE NOT BIOLOGICALLY THAT DIFFERENT FROM ANIMALS 137
SPECIESISM GOOD 138

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