Part 1
Human-Animal Studies,
Margo De Mello, "The Moral Status of Animals," Chapter 18, Animals and Society.New York: Columbia University Press, 2012. Pp. 377-395.
Questions for Reflection and Blogging:
1. Consider the "hypothetical situation" with which De Mello opens this chapter. What questions about our treatment of animals does it raise?
2. The history of philosophical debates about animals and our relationship to them is thousands of years old. Briefly note the positions of the following early figures in that history: Aristotle (4th century BCE); Pythagoras (6th century BCE); and Plutarch (45 ADE). Of these figures, which one had the greatest influence on Judeo-Christian thought?
3. Consider another phase of philosophical debate about animals and our relationship to them. Briefly note the positions of the following figures or texts: The Book of Genesis; St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 ADE); Rene Descartes (1596-1650); John Locke (1632-1704); Voltaire (1694-1778); Immanuel Kant (1724-1804); Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778); Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832).
4. Define "ethical humanism." What is"speciesism"? What are the implications of speciesism?
5. What are the principles of Peter Singer's utilitarian theory (also known as "consequentialist theory")? How does Singer challenge the idea of "ethical humanism"?
6. On what principles does Tom Regan base his case for animal rights? What does it mean to be "subjects of a life"?
7. De Mello refers to newer work in the field of the moral status of animals by Mylan Engel, Steven Wise, Martha Nussbaum, Cora Diamond, Ralph Acampora, Carol Adams, Greta Gaard, and Josephine Donovan. Briefly sketch the positions taken by two or three of these newer thinkers that most interest you.
8. In "The Morality of Awareness," Kathie Jenni writes, "Educated persons know that nonhuman animals are abused and exploited in horrific ways, but we are remarkably skilled at keeping that knowledge vague or suppressed, at keeping it out of mind as we go about our daily lives" (393). How does Jenni propose we deal with our awareness of abuse and exploitation?
Part 2
Margo De Mello, "The Animal Protection Movement," Chapter 19, Animals and Society. New York: Columbia University Press, 2012. Pp. 396-
Questions for Reflection & Blogging
1. Discuss the different positions regarding our relationship to nature held by Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir.
2. When does the animal rights movement begin? What are some important precursors to this beginning?
3. What were the key struggles of the "first wave" of the animal rights movement? Comment briefly on the contributions to the movement made by the Rev. Arthur Broome, Frances Power Cobb, Henry Bergh, and Caroline Earle White.
4. What were the central concerns of the "second wave" of the animal rights movement? What major animal protection laws were introduced in the United States during this period?
5. What other movements in the 1970s helped to foster the animal rights movement? Who are Peter Singer and Tom Regan?
6. What are some of the issues and concerns of the current animal rights movement - i.e., the "third wave"?
7. What tensions divide animal protection advocates from animal rights advocates?
8. Research and report on one of the following animal rights organizations: the Animal Legal Defense Fund, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Farm Animal Reform Movement, Farm Sanctuary, or Compassion Over Killing.
9. How do the United States' anti-cruelty laws compare with anti-cruelty laws in effect in the European Union and other nations?
10. There have been several demographic studies that have sought to answer the question: Who becomes an animal rights activist? Compose a portrait (in words) of the "animal activist" based on the results of these studies.
11. What challenges does the animal rights movement face today?
Part 3
Marc Bekoff, "Wild Justice and Fair Play: Cooperation, Forgiveness, and Morality in Animals," Chapter 4, The Emotional Lives of Animals. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2007. Pp. 85-109.
Questions for Reflection & Blogging
1. What larger questions does Marc Beckoff's research on animal play raise about the sense of justice in animals?
2. If the research strongly indicates that cooperation is a broadly adaptive strategy in animal evolution, how might the Darwinian notion of "survival of the fittest" require revision?
3. Where does the word "moral" come from--etymologically--and how might we define "morality," specifically in the context of animals?
4. How, according to Beckoff, do animals exhibit fairness during play?
5. What do we now know about the neurochemical basis of play?
6. Describe the "markers" of play in dogs and other canids. What is involved in role-reversing and self-handicapping?
7. What are some of the mental and social benefits of play? What might be some consequences of a breakdown in social play?