Analysis of An Animals Place Article by Michael Pollan - Essay Example

Significantly, Michael Pollan introduces the interesting case of animal liberation at a time when eating animals, wearing animals, experimenting on animals, killing animals for sport, etc have become common practices for humanity. According to the author, no one in the world enjoys complete equality and some people are smarter, better looking, and more gifted than others. The author has been highly effective in introducing the arguments of the people working for the liberation of animals. In a profound investigation of the arguments of people who plead for animal liberation, the author maintains that the most difficult animal rights challenge is posed by the killing of animals for meat and clothing.

To Michael Pollan, the vexed question of animal suffering is whether human interest in eating animals outweighs their interest in not being eaten. “Whether our interest in eating animals outweighs their interest in not being eaten (assuming for the moment that is their interest) turns on the vexed question of animal suffering. Vexed, because it is impossible to know what really goes on in the mind of a cow or a pig or even an ape. Strictly speaking, this is true of other humans, too, but since humans are all basically wired the same way, we have excellent reason to assume that other people’s experience of pain feels much like our own.

” (Pollan) Therefore, a reflective analysis of the article by Michael Pollan confirms that the author has been effective in examining the various aspects of the arguments made by the supporters of animal liberation and his major counter-argument is that they reveal a profound ignorance about the workings of nature. Thesis: In his article “An Animal’s Place”, Michael Pollan deals with the rights of the animals and examines the various aspects of the arguments made by the supporters of animal liberation.

Section 1: Introducing the concept of animal liberation. The author introduces Peter Singer’s article “Animal Liberation” as well as the idea of animal liberation which is the logical next step in the forward march of moral progress. The author also examines Singer’s argument which is disarmingly simple and difficult to refute. Section 2: Objections of the argument of Singer. After providing the nub of Singer’s argument, Michael Pollan discusses his objections to the argument.

The author offers his line of defense on the issue by asking why to treat animals more ethically than they treat one another (because animals kill one another all the time). Section 3: The problem with the A.M.C. The author offers, in a nutshell, the problem with the A.M.C., which can be used to help the animals, but just as often it winds up hurting the marginal cases. It is important to give up our speciesism which will bring us to a moral cliff from which we may not be prepared to jump, even when logic is pushing us.

Section 4: Discussion about vegetarianism and animal rights. “From the animals’ point of view, the bargain with humanity has been a great success, at least until our own time. Cows, pigs, dogs, cats, and chickens have thrived, while their wild ancestors have languished.” (Pollan)