Issues to consider in relation to the use of animals as food: animal welfare, environmental impact, sanctity of life, utilitarianism.
Application of each normative ethical theory to intensive farming: Natural Moral Law, Virtue Ethics, Situation Ethics.
Evaluation of each normative ethical the...
Application of Normative Ethical Theories
~ Animals Life Issues ~
Use of Animals in Intensive Farming
Intensive farming is the factory farming of animals in order to mass produce milk, fur and meat.
- Animal welfare and environmental damage
- Humans starve whilst cattle consume 15x more grain than the meat they produce
- Does the sanctity of life extend to animals?
- Intensive farming produces cheaper meat and meets demands of a growing population
Application of Normative Ethical Theories
Natural Moral Law
1. Hierarchy of souls (Aquinas agreed with Aristotle) - places humans above animals meaning
we have the right to use animals for food, nutrition and growth
- Any potential rights animals may have are lower than human rights
2. Natural pattern of animals using plants and each other for survival
3. Instrumental value - animals exist for the sake of humans
- ‘there is no sin in using a thing for the purpose for which it is [made]] (Summa Theologica)
4. Dominion - God gave us animals for human purpose
5. However: intensive farming may prevent animals from fulfilling their God-given purpose
which is not known to humans (Judith Bard)
- Animals are created by God -> disrespectful to His creation
6. Primary precept: preservation of life -> does this apply to animals?
Evaluating NML approach to Intensive Farming
Strengths Weaknesses
We can use animals as a means to an end Singer - speciecist
‘There is no sin in using a thing for the - wouldn’t use an inhibited human as a
purpose for which it is made’ (Aquinas) resource, so why animals?
Dominion - ‘rule over the fish in the Stewardship - unclear whether we should
sea…’ (Genesis) respect and care for God’s creation - can use
- God created animals for human use animals but not in excessive -> intensive
farming is wrong
Absolute - clear and simple Primary Precepts are unclear - do they apply
to animals? e.g. preservation of life, agapé
Williams - it is natural to give weight to our Bard - we prevent animals form achieving
own species / animals = secondary to humans their God-given purpose (telos)
Kant - ‘animals…are there merely as a means Pythagoreans - eating meat risks devouring
to an end. That end is man’ - we are right to in our ancestors’ souls -> morally wrong
use animals for human benefit
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