Ethical Treatment of Animals

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Ethical Treatment of Animals

What values and obligations should govern our treatment of animals? Is it morally acceptable to have pets and eat animals? If not, why? But even if it is acceptable to eat animals, what standards of treatment should govern our treatment of them? How do we extend values from human ethics to our treatment of animals?

• Resource Needs:

• Fundamental arguments in animal rights; how do philosopher's think we should think about extending moral categories for humans to animals?
• Arguments from animal liberationists to defenders of animal agriculture.
• Information and analysis about the state of industrial agriculture.
• Information on sentience, pain, and natural behaviors of animals

Information

• Post summaries of something you learned about the topic that is important to thinking about it. Consult the resource needs list above for ideas. Use both Google searches leading to authoritative information and online databases, books, and articles linked through Foley Library.

Arguments

• Post arguments that you find or want to put forward on this topic. You can research arguments by doing a Google search, but also by consulting databases like Philosopher's Index, Academic Search Complete, and Proquest.

Insights

• Post here under your name (or login anonymously and either use your saint name (if you want me to know who you are) or make up your own. Post a brief statement of your views as they are evolving on the topic. What arguments, values, and facts are central (or gaining prominence) in your thinking?