Issues of non-human life and death

• Key moral issues relating to the use of animals:

  • whether or not humans have the right to use animals for scientific procedures, blood sports, source of organs
  • right to life
  • if they have the right from unnecessary and avoidable suffering
• The use of animals for food/intensive farming:

  • mass production due to high command
  • animals for food are mainly kept in crowded and filthy conditions
  • painful procedures
• The use of animals in scientific procedures; cloning:

  • animals are used for testing the safety and efficacy of drugs and vaccines for certain diseases
  • cloning of animals for preserving endangered species, making them disease-resistant, improving milk and meat yields
  • slippery slope resulting in human-animal hybrids
  • risk and suffering entailed in animal cloning
• The use of animals in blood sports:

  • bloodshed for animals and sometimes death
  • source of entertainment for humans
  • animals undergo terrible physical and emotional suffering
• The use of animals as a source of organs for transplant:

  • xenotransplantation is planting organs from one species to another
  • animals diseases could spead onto humans and lead to possible mutations into something deadly
• Application of natural moral law:

  • Aquinas adopted aristotles heirarchy of the souls which placed humans above plants and animals
  • animals are irrational so they have no intrinsic value
  • Their purpose is to serve our needs
• Application of natural moral law:

  • Aquinas adopted aristotles heirarchy of the souls which placed humans above plants and animals
  • animals are irrational so they have no intrinsic value
  • Their purpose is to serve our needs
  • Animals are seen as property and if one is murdered it is seen as theft from the owner not murder of the animal
  • cruelty to animals might cause humans to be cruel to one another
• Application to issues: natural moral law

  Animals have no right to life cruelty to animals might cause humans to be desensitive to one another animals for medical testing could be seen as fulfilling primary precept of preserving innocent human life rejects animal-human hybrids and mixing genetic material of different animal species
• Mordern catholic views on animals:

  • Animals were created by god with intrinsic value and that men owe them kindness.
  • Animal testing is because of its value to the well-being of human beings but suffering must be kept to the minimum.
  • pressure on the magisterium to denounce blood sports
  • The church opposes xenotransplantation of gametes that would modify the human germline
• Application of situation ethics on animals:

  • No clear guidance
  • 'personalism' is a person-focused approach which suggests that even if animals should be given moral consideration, humans take priority.
• Situation ethics

  An approach that judges the morality of an action based on the context, rather than on abstract universal principles
• Situationists believe that intensive farming should be increased

  To address the issue of global hunger
• Situation ethics

  • Takes the anthropocentric approach- regards humans as the centre of existence
  • The end justifies the means
• Situation ethics

  • Allow animal testing for medical treatments and acquiring greater understanding of diseases
  • Promote well-being and save lives
• Application of agape (the Christian concept of love)

  Animal suffering should be minimised
• Agape demands

  Compassion, not cruelty
• Situation ethics

  • Allows xenotransplantation
  • Part of "sinning bravely"
• Some situationists who think that animals have the same rights as humans

  Would be against all forms of animal use
• Situation ethics opposes blood sports
• Application of virtue ethics on animals

  • Aristotle came up with the heirarchy of the souls
  • animals are below humans
  • their final end is to serve human needs
  • animals dont have any rights
• Using virtue ethics to apply issues on animals:

  • The ethos of making large profits might encourage the vice of greed
  • The filthy conditions animals are kept in cannot be described as compassionate
  • Animal testing and cloning can be seen as virtuous
  • Animal testing meets the intellectual virtue
  • reflects compassion
  • some virtue ethicists argue that no animal testing is virtuous as its done without consent
  • Blood sports on the other hand is insensitive and not compassionate
  • he might have supported xenotransplantation