Ethics and Farm Animals

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Emmeline Francis
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1 Ethics and Farm Animals Paul B. Thompson W.K. Kellogg Professor of Agricultural, Food & Community Ethics

2 A High Level Cultural Debate Reflected in the cultural tendency to assume that when someone uses the word animal they mean not human.

3 A High Level Cultural Debate Reflected in the cultural tendency to assume that when someone uses the word animal In ethics, humanism often they mean not equates human. with the assumption that only humans and human interests matter ethically. Call this humanism. Call this anthropocentrism.

4 But after Darwin humanism looks less and less plausible Non human animals are like humans in many ways. These ways in which humans and non-humans are alike matter ethically. Call this extensionism. But extension disrespects the way that each species is unique. Call this posthumanism.

5 Responsibilities for humane ethical care of animals must be assured. Producers must be able to recover their costs in order to produce. More on this later Affordable Food - eggs are a staple food that people know how to use -reducing the cost of staple foods matters from an ethical perspective because poorer people spend a larger portion of income on food

6 Stage I Ethics Good things that are no one in particular s responsibility to bring about Actions or duties that are the ethical responsibility of well-defined individuals or groups

7 Producers need not be spurred by ethical motives in order for good things to happen in a competitive economy.

8 Egg Ethics Circa 1940 but it is a responsibility that is wholly consistent with economic interest. This is the farmer s moral responsibility

9 Egg Ethics Compatibility of producer s competitive interest and the welfare of animals becomes increasingly questionable. Animal welfare starts to look like an externality

10 Egg Ethics Compatibility of producer s competitive interest and the welfare of animals becomes increasingly questionable. Animal welfare starts to look like an externality

11 Egg Ethics Circa Consumers voluntarily pay more for specialty eggs. 3. Producer cooperation: Enforceable industry standards 2. Government regulation to level the playing field for producers. Animal welfare cannot be the responsibility of individual producers.

12 Stage II Ethics Standards for Ethical Care of Animals

13 Expert Animal Ethics Cognitive Measures: Pain, Suffering, Experiential Frustration or Satisfaction Species Typical Behaviors: Nesting, Wing Flapping, Dust Bathing, Perching Standard Veterinary Health Measures: Mortality, Morbidity, Growth and Development

14 Expert Animal Ethics Gets Wicked Cognitive Measures: Pain, Suffering, Experiential Frustration or Satisfaction Option 1: Species typical behaviors are important to the extent that they effect cognitive or veterinary well-being Species Typical Behaviors: Nesting, Wing Flapping, Dust Bathing, Perching The Philosophical Problem: How to understand animal natures? Option 2: Species typical behaviors are constitutive of Standard Veterinary well-being. Health Measures: Mortality, Morbidity, Growth and Development

15 Expert Animal Ethics Gets Wicked Cognitive Measures: Pain, Suffering, Experiential Frustration or Satisfaction in the Real World Option 1: Species typical behaviors are important to the extent that they effect cognitive or veterinary well-being Species Typical Behaviors: Nesting, Wing Flapping, Dust Bathing, Perching The Practical Problem: The philosophical problem makes a difference to how you approach industry standards Option 2: Species typical behaviors are constitutive of Standard Veterinary well-being. Health Measures: Mortality, Morbidity, Growth and Development

16 Animal Ethics: Mortality from predators The or Public Mind Basic Welfarists: Experience of pain, satisfaction, frustration & contentment. diseases, discomforts and risks that animals might experience in nature don t count Naturalists: The kind of life that animals would lead in nature is the moral norm. Research by Pritchard, Norwood and Lusk, Oklahoma State U. Price Seekers: Only minimal levels of physical well-being matter.

17 Egg Ethics 2010 Under the naturalist philosophy, the welfare of more aggressive birds in free-range systems that permit natural behaviors such as pecking and aggression is probably much better But the welfare of less dominant birds (who get pecked) is almost certainly worse

Ethics and Animals: An Introduction Application to the Animal & Veterinary Sciences

Ethics and Animals: An Introduction Application to the Animal & Veterinary Sciences What this lecture will do: Describe some ways science and ethics differ Identify the roles of science and ethics in contentious