Human and Animal Interrelationships from Domestication to Present - Term Paper Example

Animal Ethics Animal has different meaning in different perspectives. In biology, human beings are also animals and the difference between non-human animals and human is broad. However, in reality, the term animal refers to the nonhuman animals, which often causes some sort of confusion. Wild and domestic animals are further classification of animals. Wild animals are untouchable by human and normally not controlled by human. Domestic on the other hand, are animals tamed and or controlled by human in their habitat. Animal ethics meant to enlighten about animals’ moral status. Animals like human have their moral status and mistreatment to benefit someone is not allowed. Humans are morally obliged to have interest in the actions of animals, their interest, and wellbeing. Animal ethics declares the moral importance of animals and their rights. Animals as any other living things experience pain if mistreated by others or human beings. Pain can be states of an attitude and some can have negative attitude of hurting or revenging from a mistreatment in different ways. Human beings can detect animal’s response to pain even without questioning. For instance, when an animal hurt by a vehicle, most likely the animal will yelp and writhe. The feeling that the animal does not yelp when in its normal condition shows that animals feel pain (Christiansen & Forkman 39). Unlike human beings, animal responses are normally with a cause. A person can yelp and writhe but not experiencing pain and they can be silent but experiencing pain. Pain in human can be differentiate from animal in several ways, for instance, human beings tend to guard an injured part whilst some animals continue to use their injured body parts without guarding them in any way. Recognition of animals’ moral status saves them from mistreatment from human beings. It is evident that animals also experience fear and obstruction and have desires and this adds to their comfort and importance ethically. For human beings to understand what actions can hurt or help animals, they have to know what is of benefit and uplift the animals comfort (Palmer, Clare 25). To understand how animals experience fear and frustration, consider the stimulus-response actions. Animal behaves differently on different human actions, for instance, when you strike a dog, it may whirl or turn brutal. The dog under normal condition is friendly, but the brutality in it is as a response to the human action. This indicates that the dog is frustrated and may even run away after biting someone due to fear. In this case, the striking is a stimulus while the brutality and whirling is the response. Different responses for different action will portray feelings for the animal. The response when u tickle it is different to the response when one strikes its back and that reflects that they have feelings just like human being do and therefore the need for moral status recognition (Palmer, Clare 45). Moral equality is the call in animals for their rights needs honor just like the rights of human beings. Although there are some rights of animals that are unclear, there are other rights crucial and should be honored. In the instance for usage of animals for food and experiments, DeGrazia who was a scientist claimed that, not unless we are ready to countenance use of human beings for food or experiment, then either animal. The issue of equality of animals and humans is sometimes impossible. For instance, the desires of an insect are far much different from those of a human being and if equality guaranteed, then one has to go down to fit with the other. However, such reasons are consistent if proved that, the different interest call for unfit treatment (Garner, Robert 34). The ability for an animal to undergo pain and feel other aversive experiences calls for an account of their well-being. It is evident that pain leads to disaster or harm but some other cases this might not be the case. For instance, an animal giving birth or treat for a disease and not considered pain that interferes with the animal but also contributes to the well-being of the animal (Palmer, Clare 45). Morally animals are worthy though some philosophers hold that they are not but if they are not then, we owe them no moral obligation. This means whatever human beings do to them does not affect them but affects other human beings. In 19th century, slaughter of animals was not a big deal as they had no moral status and they used to get any kind of treatment. No one cared about their responses as long as they do not affect the human beings (Garner, Robert 34). Moral status of the animal ensured to avoid violation of their rights. When an animal used for education purposes for instance, some factors like the outcomes achieved by students, the usefulness of the activity, sources, nursing and record keeping necessities. If the activity is worthy taking, a proposal to the concerned bodies about animal ethics to approve the process. After the activity using an animal, a report written indicating whether the desired results attained and how it helped improve the students learning and records kept for future use and the impacts of such activities to the well-being of the animals. Animal ethics declares that, animals used when they are of great importance and for improvement of educational outcomes and mastering of skills in the related field study. Furthermore, there are the set animals used for teaching while others not recommended due to some reasons that the institution should make them clear to their learners. These animals fit for use includes all non-human vertebrates, reptiles, livestock, birds, and many other animals. Other invertebrates not recommended for experimentation in schools, colleges, as the bodies that allow use of animals in learning institutions do not cover them (Sandoe, Peter 23). There are so many animals in developing countries, which are mistreated or their moral values unrecognized. For instance, camels, donkeys, mules and others are workloads with underfeeding and diseases. These animals have their rights and a moral value for their rights but the owners do not realize them, they end up mistreating the animals, which leads to poor health of the animal and sometimes death. Animal ethics bodies or organizations are up to fight for the mistreatment of animals in such cases. The animal is a very important creature in the universe that has freedom and given rights for their well-being. Well-being of these animals also enhances the well-being of human beings. If for instance, these donkey and camels used for workloads are affected by diseases and all die, the human beings left would suffer due to the workloads done by these animals and might end up giving up and dying eventually. In addition, animals contribute much to the environment and for the environmental change affect every living creature; they should have honor for the well-being of every living thing on the world. Research shows how good relation with animals especially domestic animals used for different functions increases their performance and their life span. If animals’ life span increased, they are most likely to serve human beings for a longer time and this is an advantage to the human beings. Animals treated morally as any other living things and their rights honored can have benefits to both the human and environment. Work Cited Top of Form Palmer, Clare. Animal Ethics in Context. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010. Print. Garner, Robert. Animal Ethics. Cambridge [u.a.: Polity, 2005. Print. S. B. Christiansen & B. Forkman . Applied Animal Behavior Science. Elsevier. 2007. Sandoe, Peter. Animal Ethics and Cultural Imperialism. 2011. From http://www.animalethics.net/Nyheder/2011/Animal_ethics_and_cultural_imperialism.aspx on October 16, 2013. Read More