Critical examination of the moral status of animals, with particular reference to the practices of factory farming and animal experimentation
There is extensive literature that indicates animals suffer considerably in the practices of factory farming and animal experimentation. In the light of the evidence of this suffering there is an urgent need to answer the question whether our current use of animals is ever morally justifiable. The aim of this thesis is to provide a critical examination of the moral status of animals and of our treatment of animals in these practices. My objective is to assess whether these practices are ever justifiable and whether we have a moral obligation to revise our attitudes towards our use of animals. Animals are often denied moral standing on the basis that they lack certain capacities, such as rationality, language and the ability to think. Further, it is often thought that animals' supposed lack of such capacities could be used as a defence for our use of them in intensive farming and animal experimentation. Thus, in examining the moral status of animals this thesis also examines animals and their capacities in order to determine whether any of the arguments given against the moral standing of animals are sound. In seeking to discover the extent of our moral obligations towards animals and the necessary conditions
Humphreys, Rebekah
Critical examination of the moral status of animals, with particular reference to the practices of factory farming and animal experimentation. There is extensive literature that indicates animals suffer considerably in the practices of factory farming and animal experimentation. In the light of the evidence of this suffering there is an urgent need to answer the question whether our current use of animals is ever morally justifiable. The aim of this thesis is to provide a critical examination of the moral status of animals and of our treatment of animals in these practices. My objective is to assess whether these practices are ever justifiable and whether we have a moral obligation to revise our attitudes towards our use of animals. Animals are often denied moral standing on the basis that they lack certain capacities, such as rationality, language and the ability to think. Further, it is often thought that animals' supposed lack of such capacities could be used as a defence for our use of them in intensive farming and animal experimentation. Thus, in examining the moral status of animals this thesis also examines animals and their capacities in order to determine whether any of the arguments given against the moral standing of animals are sound. In seeking to discover the extent of our moral obligations towards animals and the necessary conditions
critical_examination moral_status animal particular_reference practice factory farm animal experimentation extensive literature indicate animal suffer considerably practice factory farm animal experimentation light evidence suffer urgent need answer_question whether current use animal ever morally justifiable aim_provide critical_examination moral_status animal treatment animal practice objective ass_whether practice ever justifiable whether moral_obligation revise attitude_towards use animal animals often deny moral stand basis lack certain capacity rationality language ability think often think animal suppose lack capacity could_use defence use intensive farm animal experimentation thus examine moral_status animal also_examine animal capacity order_determine whether argument give moral standing animal sound seek_discover extent moral_obligation towards animal necessary_condition