Joshua Livingston (FRI)

Should other non-human animals have rights or do animals solely exist in the world to be exploited by humans? In other words, what place do non-human animals have in our moral system? What is it that according to some, humans are thought to have moral status and non-humans do not? To what degree of a moral status should an animal have compared to a human? Should animals merely be used as a means to some human’s end, such as being eaten or experimented on? Should the law promote animal welfare? What are our duties to animals? In order to answer these questions, one must first consider whether animals have consciousness, but not necessarily self-consciousness, and have the potential of rational thinking. For example, one can argue that if you aren’t self aware then you are merely “property” or entirely subject to the will of your owner. For example, a table or a chair can be treated however the owner likes, such as being broken or sold. In order to address the issue of whether animals are merely property, one must question whether animals are capable of and can feel pain. If the animal is able to suffer then they are relevant to the argument of whether they are simple a property. Moreover, by answering the question of whether animals can feel pain one can begin to answer the question of which animals should have rights. Everything depends on whether and to what extent the animal in question is capable of suffering.