STUDY QUESTIONS (I)
MA = Minding Animals FT
=
8/27
Required: FT chapter 19 and bible passages in “Animals
in Western Thought” (web). Recommended:
FT chapter 13.
(1)
Native Americans are sometimes thought to have had a particularly
respectful relationship with animals.
What’s true about that image?
What’s false about it?
(2)
“Adam and Eve were vegetarians.”
True or false? “Noah was a
vegetarian.” True or false?
(3)
If you had to sum up the message about animals contained in these bible passages,
how would you do it?
9/3 Aristotle,
Kant, and Bentham in “Animals in Western Thought” (web).
(4)
In the first Aristotle passage, the master-animal relationship is
compared to the master-slave relationship.
How are they similar, according to Aristotle?
(5)
In the second passage, how does Aristotle defend the use of animals as
food?
(6)
In the first Kant passage, he writes “[S]o far as animals are
concerned, we have no direct duties…Our duties toward animals are merely
indirect duties toward humanity.” That’s
the heart of his position, so reflect on what he means, in light of the rest of
the passage.
(7)
If a dog stops being useful, why shouldn’t his “master” simply shoot
him? What’s Kant’s answer?
9/10
MA chapter 2; "Are we in anthropodenial?" (web,
new!!);Descartes in “Animals in Western Thought” (web); AE
chapter 12;
(8)
How does Bekoff
say do we use language to distance ourselves from and objectify animals?
(9)
According to
Bekoff, De Waal, what is anthropomorphism? What
is anthropodenial?
(10)
What does
Bekoff say are the pros and cons of using anecdotes to understand animals?
(11)
You may be surprised to learn that some philosophers
think animals are not conscious, and can feeling nothing—no pleasure, no pain,
no hunger, etc. Rene Descartes (17th
century) is infamous for holding the view that animals are mere machines. Why does he take this view of animals, but
not humans?
(12)
How does
(13)
9/17 MA chapter 4 and AR
chapter 8.
(14)
Both readings discuss intelligence.
(a) Why is it difficult comparing the intelligence of
different species?
(b) What’s the problem with using brain size or some other
property of the brain as a basis for comparing the intelligence of different
species?
(c) To the extent that comparisons of overall intelligence
can be made, do humans come out on top, primates next, and then other species,
as predicted by their evolutionary distance from humans?
(15)
What is the standard test for self-awareness in
animals? Which animals pass the
test? What are the limits and problems
with the test? (See second reading,
especially.)
(16)
It will be important for us later on whether animals
are “stuck in the present” or can think about the past and future. See AR 183-6. What do the authors say?
(17)
Descartes is adamant that animals lack speech, but
what do this week’s authors say on the matter?
9/24
(18)
Singer is happy to admit that there are lots of
differences between animals. Still, he
argues that “all animals are equal”? What
is the “principle of equality” that he accepts?
What does it require us to do?
(19)
What is “speciesism”?
(20)
If you rid yourself of speciesism, and embraced the
principle of equality, what kinds of things would you have to do and not
do? Read Singer all the way to the end
of the chapter, especially pg. 15 on, before you answer.
(21)
Suppose you’re on a sinking lifeboat with three other
normal people and one normal dog. You
can all be saved by throwing one individual overboard. Fortunately, you’ve got
time to make the decision, and you’ve got Animal
Liberation to consult. What’s Singer’s advice to you? (Don’t answer until you’ve read to the end
of chapter 1.)
(22)
What is the key
example that Gray uses to respond to Singer?
Do you agree with Gray that a mother ought to prefer her child? Do you
agree that we have an analogous duty to prefer members of our own species?
10/1 AE chapters 8 and
10.
(23)
Regan’s article begins with objections to other views
about animal rights. Pay particular
attention to what he says against utilitarianism.
(24)
In Regan’s argument for animal rights a concept that
plays a crucial role is the concept of a “subject of a life” (SOAL). What is a SOAL? Which things are SOALS? Rats?
Lobsters? Insects? Trees?
(25)
Regan’s view is “categorically abolitionist,” he says. What does that mean? Is Singer also “categorically abolitionist”?
(26)
Cohen says we have duties only to beings with a
capacity for morality. That means no
duties to dogs, mice, etc, since they lack that capacity. Then do we also have no duties to babies, or
people with severe mental retardation, since they lack that capacity? These “marginal cases” are a problem for
Cohen. What does he say about them?
10/8
Take-home midterm due,
no class
10/15 Required: AL 95-157, FT chapter 6 (all), and
FT chapter 10 (124-9). Recommended:
“An Animal’s Place” and “Power Steer” (both web).
Note: I highly recommend the additional readings, which
are both by Michael Pollan. The first is
a defense of humane farming. The second is a close look at the way cattle are
usually raised in the
(27)
In Singer’s chapter, you’ll
learn how modern factory farmers treat chickens, pigs, veal calves, and
cattle. You don’t need to memorize every
detail in this chapter, but you should have
a pretty definite picture of the treatment of each species.
(28)
If factory farming is appalling
cruel, why should we do more than go back to a more humane type of animal
farming? That’s the question Scruton asks in FT chapter 6. Why does Scruton
think we must farm humanely? Why does he think we need not be vegetarians?
(29)
A utilitarian-style defense of
humane farming is on FT 128. What
problems does Gruzalski find with the argument?
10/22
Required: FT
chapters 7 and 9; AL 159-169. Recommended: “Rethinking the
Meat Guzzler” (web).
(30)
Why does Pluhar think we ought to do more than
move toward humane animal farming, and stop eating meat?
(31)
Can vegetarians take credit for saving the lives of animals? Why does Frey think the answer is No?
(32)
How are Singer’s reasons for being a vegetarian different from Pluhar’s?
(33)
If you care about the environment, why is that a reason to eat less
meat? (Singer explains, but see also the recommended article.)
Study Questions (II) will be posted later in the
semester.