1. Applied Ethics – animal life and death

2. Things you need to consider:
Moral status of animals
Facts about each of the four issues and ethical issues that arise
How NML, SE and VE address these issues

3. Moral Status No agreed definition of the moral status of animals
Those that claim animals have no rationality, or soul, or consciousness or cannot speak deny that they have moral status
Those that claim animals have rationality, or soul, or consciousness or cannot speak claim that they DO have moral status
Jeremy Bentham – having moral status comes from the ability to feel pleasure and pain, and as animals can feel both they have moral status.
Immanuel Kant – we only have moral duty to humans because of the difference between humans and animals. However, we do have moral concern for animals.

4. What do we know?
Animals have consciousness and are sentient (Self-aware).
Animals exhibit complex social and co-operative behavioural patterns, emotional responses and self-directed behaviour.
The most intelligent animals possess long-term memory and can understand simple language.

5. Issues Human life is more important than animal life?
Rights of the animal?
We don’t know the extent of animals’ capacity to experience suffering
‘lesser’ animals?
Issues
Difference between testing for medicines and cosmetics?
The harm to the animals are outweighed by the benefit to humans?
More humane ways to carry out experiments?

6. Use of animals as food (and intensive farming) p.207
Intensive farming = factory farming of animals; mechanisation to produce maximum yield.
Problems include environmental issues such as deforestation and global warming.
In the food industry, many animals are kept in crowded, filthy conditions and suffer procedures such as branding, de-horning, de-beaking, tails and teeth removed etc.
Moral right of humans to inflict pain and suffering on other animals who possess sentient , social and cognitive skills?
Do animals have a right to life?
It may be ethically preferable to decrease meat production and increase crop production
Do humans need to eat meat?

7. Use of animals in scientific procedures (P.207-208)
Using animals to develop drugs and medicines (and cosmetics in some countries); animals as test-subjects for new therapies; research into diseases and the effects of treatment. Cloning animals to preserve endangered species, mass production, ‘improving animals’ to make them disease resistant or produce more fur/meat etc.
Moral right of humans to experiment on living things without their consent
Many scientific procedures still do not use anaesthetic
Same experiments being done in different countries – no coordination to lessen impact on animals
Cloning animals could lead to cloning humans (slippery slope argument)

8. Blood sports (p.208)
Term used to refer to sports that involve animal blood shed or death of an animal – e.g. hunting, fishing, hare-coursing, badger-baiting, bull fighting.
Moral right of humans to kill/harm animals for entertainment
Negative effect on human psychology – those who participate can become desensitised to animal suffering.

9. Animals as source of organs for donation (p.209)
Technical term = xenotransplantation. Transfer of cells/tissues/organs from one species to another. One aim is to use pig hearts that have been genetically engineered in order to give life-saving heart transplants for humans.
Moral right of humans to use (and kill) animals in order to benefit humans?
Risk of procedures – there may be transfer of diseases from animals to humans.

10. Species you could discuss: Fruit Flies Mice Fish Cows Birds Dogs
There are different regulations regarding research on different animals. Why do you think this is? Comparing two animals, write down how you think the regulations on animal welfare will differ.
Species you could discuss:
Fruit Flies
Mice
Fish
Cows
Birds
Dogs
Monkeys
Points to consider:
Cage sizes
Cage enrichment (toys etc.)
Housing animals together
Playtime
Veterinary checks
What research can be done
Examples:
Bigger animals require bigger enclosures. Primates need the ability to climb upwards. Birds need space to fly.
Pigs will need more hardy toys than mice (for which enrichment be a toilet roll tube). Pigs often play with metal chains. Wheels are often used for mice.
For animals which are more cognitively advanced it is more important to house them together. However, some animals are more prone to fighting each other and will need more careful attention to how they are socially housed.

11. Natural Law (pages )
Aquinas adopted Aristotle’s hierarchy of souls – plants then animals then humans.
As animals make use of plants as a food supply, humans have the same right in relation to animals. Animals were created for any use which humans choose to put them.
‘Although man is of the same ‘genus’ as other animals, he is of a different ‘species.’ Summa Theologica
Humans are the only rational beings, and the only beings capable of achieving union with God – all other beings exist for humans to achieve this end.

12. Situation Ethics – pages 213-216
The principle of personalism tells us that SE is concerned with persons – AGAPE love as demonstrated in the Bible is also primarily concerned with people, so we can conclude that human interests will generally be put first.
SE may support the idea that animals belong in God’s love – agape is inclusive rather than exclusive (although human life would come first).

13. Virtue Ethics (pages 216-219)
Aristotle is the source for Aquinas’ hierarchy of souls – plants are for animal use and animals are for human use. Remember there were no factory farms or scientific procedures in Ancient Greece, although Aristotle did dissect animals.
His approach is based on his teleological view that all things have a final end – a reason which governs their existence, what they do and what they can achieve.

14. Part As
Explain the approach of Situation Ethics to the use of animals as food and intensive farming.
Explain how Natural Moral Law approaches the use of animals in blood sports.
Explain the approach of a character based ethical system to the use of animals in scientific procedures.

15. Part Bs
'Animal testing is easily justifiable according to Christian beliefs' Discuss
‘Virtue Ethics does not provide adequate guidance when applied to the ethical issues surrounding the use of animals.’ Discuss
‘Situation Ethics has no satisfactory answer to the ethical problems of intensive farming.’