Ethical Obligation in Respect to Other Animals - Assignment Example

HUMAN BEING’S ETHICAL OBLIGATION IN RESPECT TO OTHER ANIMALS By University Date The modern society is guided by rules and regulation where respect for one another’s rights is paramount. This has been extended to other non-human beings that ought to be handed due respect since they enjoy the right to live. Animal power has been a hot topic in the recent years with so much argument on whether animals deserve to have rights or not. Numerous assumptions and hypothesis have been advanced but to date their no specific stand that has been put forward concerning the issue; thus, animals are handed their rights selectively depending on the people and place they are in the world (Milligan, 2010). This paper examines the moral obligation human beings have towards other non-human animals within the ecosystem in order for them to enjoy their rights as living creatures. Animals are part of the ecosystem within which human beings live and thus, it is the obligation of people to conserve their surroundings. Preserving their surroundings in this context implies that they should strive to ensure the animals and other living things within that proximity are protected from any form of damaged or destruction to ensure perpetual lives hence save them from extinction (Linzey and Clarke, 2005). Biologically, human beings are regarded as the highest creature in terms of reasoning and making rational judgement thus they ought to preserve the other creatures that are under them. However, those creatures should not be subjected to uncouth activities for the benefit of man but should be guided in the best ways to live and interact with other creatures. The issue, of non-human beings being accorded rights, is both limiting to people and at the same time tends to defy the logic of common sense. For instance, with animal rights in place those who subscribe and pledge to uphold them should not use animals for food, transport, recreation as well as not harm them in any manner (Regan, 2003). It is right for a man to handle other animals with dignity and all the activities that they subject them into must be within a moral context. This will aid to solve numerous cases in which animals have fallen victims of torture in the name of satisfying the needs of man. For instance, it cannot be justified when a person loads tonnes of luggage on camels for transport purposes just because he/she can afford to own that animal (Regan, 2003). It is prudent to understand the fact that just like a human being animals also have feelings of pain, anger and even can die. Thus, they should be accorded with the utmost respect even in the event we are using them to achieve our motives. In that scenario, it is morally right if the owner could have just loaded a significant load onto the camel, an amount which the animal can comfortably carry and not cause any physical harm or strain to the animal (Milligan, 2010). Moreover, from an ethical perspective, human beings have an obligation to respect other animals by upholding their rights to ensure they comfortably exist in the environment without any difficulty (Caspi and Reid, 2002). Therefore, it is justifiable to research the topic to promote ongoing advocacy for animal rights. For instance, take a large scale farm rearing herds of cattle for beef production. Thus, to meet demand for meat production the producer must wait until the cattle mature. However, owners can apply advanced technology in the process of cross-breeding to come up with desirable traits in the animals. In essence, genetic engineering will be implemented to get with breeds that are resistant to climatic diseases while producing high-quality beef. Once the cattle mature, they are taken to abattoirs where machines slaughter approximately four hundred cows in one hour. Therefore, from the above case, human beings are taking an initiative to rear cattle, which is a modest and noble idea since they are conserving them by providing them with food and shelter. However, it is pointless to accord cattle all luxury by providing them with enough food and shelter only for their lives to be suddenly cut short because of beef (Linzey and Clarke, 2005). Thus, this case demonstrates a situation how human beings are using animals arbitrary to advance their interest without taking into consideration the moral obligation that they in safeguarding the rights of animal. For instance, the process of genetic engineering is wrong and against the rights of animals. Animals just like human beings have similar levels of biological complexity thus their birth and death is of great significance. The same manner in which people cannot be subjected to natural experiments it is uncouth for animals who share the same biological complexities with people to be subjected to the same (Milligan, 2010). That notwithstanding, research indicates that higher mammals have conscious; thus they are aware that they exist. For animals of such calibre they are more of human beings only that they cannot think morally they need to be accorded respect since at least they are aware of their being hence any action that will alter their lives aggrieves them or their siblings. The primary sources for this assignment included works by Gruen, 2011 and that one by Linzey and Clarke, 2005. I choose to rely on these books entirely due to the exclusive nature in which they have presented their scholarly works regarding this topic. To begin with Gruen, 2011 indulged in a wide scope research thus providing a conclusive argument that is why is preferred to rely on this scholarly work for my paper. On the other hand Linzey and Clarke, 2005 was idea for this particular assignment since it gives a chronological history of how ethics in relation to animals has evolved over years with the significance of each being elaborated in detail. The book by Beauchamp and Frey, 2011 was ideal for this paper since it is a rich source of information concerning animal rights thus making it easier to deduce the moral obligation that human beings should have in respect to other animals. On the other hand, the work of Caspi and Reid, 2002 compliments the works of Milligan, 2010 as they both tackle the issue of animal rights and what should be done to actualize these rights being implemented. The books give a view of what is expected from human beings being the custodians of the environment in which animals are part of. The book by Francione and Garner, 2010 came hand in hand with that by Sunstein and Mussbaum, 2004 offer numerous debates on the topic; thus, aiding in making informed decisions on the argument of the responsibility of people in upholding animal rights. Palmer, 2010 gives an in depth approach to anima rights by discussing the issue in context hence a god source of finer details which will be relied upon to come up with the essay’s arguments. Finally, the works by Reagan, 2003 evaluates the rights of animals and how human beings are applying them in real life situations. The text sheds light on the wrongs that are committed by people in the bid to uphold their moral obligation to respect other animals (Beauchamp and Frey, 2011). Rene Descartes a French philosopher argues that non-human animals do not think since they are merely biological robots that act on the instruction. Given the fact that they lack the ability to think for themselves they deserve no rights as they will not be aware whether or not they are being accorded special treatment as a result of their rights (Francione and Garner, 2010). Conversely, St. Thomas Aquinas, a Christian theologian, argues that man was given the authority to take care and subdue over earth. Animals were created to serve the interests of man thus any action that is done is within their mandate of caring and have authority over them. This dismisses the idea of animals having rights thus implying human beings have no moral obligation to non-human creatures (Caspi and Reid, 2002). However, Jane Goodall, an expert, dealing with primates noted that with the research that she had conducted it was evident that chimpanzees tend to depict an altruistic behaviour meaning they recognise morality (Palmer, 2010). Ultimately, the extreme actions that are often taken against animals such as donkeys, camels, dogs among many others, which are not inconsistent with animal rights, should be avoided. However, the idea of animals being bestowed with rights is vague since it limits the extent to which man can interact with them (Sunstein and Nussbaum, 2004). Rights being given to animals mean they are capable of leading distinct lives without the help of human beings which is not possible. It means people will be rearing animals for no economic gain a situation, which does not make sense in the modern industrial world. Therefore, man has a moral obligation of regarding animals as lawful subjects to man. References Beauchamp, T. L., & Frey, R. G., 2011. The Oxford handbook of animal ethics. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Caspi, J., & Reid, W. J., 2002. Educational supervision in social work a task-cantered model for field instruction and staff development. New York, Columbia University Press. Francione, G. L., & Garner, R., 2010. The animal rights debate abolition or regulation? New York, Columbia University Press. Available at: http://site.ebrary.com/id/10433227. [Accessed 26 Jan. 2015]. Gruen, L., 2011. Ethics and animals: an introduction. Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press. Linzey, A., & Clarke, P. A. B., 2005. Animal rights a historical anthology. New York, Columbia University Press. Available at: http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=909039. [Accessed 26 Jan. 2015]. Milligan, T., 2010. Beyond animal rights: food, pets and ethics. London, Continuum. Palmer, C., 2010. Animal ethics in context. New York, Columbia University Press. Regan, T., 2003. Animal rights, human wrongs: an introduction to moral philosophy. Lanham, Md. [u.a.], Rowman & Littlefield. Shapiro, L., 2000. Applied animal ethics. Albany, NY, Delmar. Sunstein, C. R., & Nussbaum, M. C., 2004. Animal rights: current debates and new directions. New York, Oxford University Press. 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