Peter Singer: Equal Right For Animals?
Equal Right for Animals?
PHI: 103 Informal Logic
Instructor: Courtney Barclay
Evan J. McDaniel
April 20, 2015
Since the first edition of Peter Singer’s book “Animal Liberation” in 1975 the animal rights movement has been a topic of discussion. This movement or the animal liberation movement is an effort designed to protect mammals from being mistreated and regarded as property by humans. Peter Singer is known as a Utilitarian and believes in maximizing individual happiness while minimizing nonhuman unhappiness. Singer claims that all human beings have the same worth as all nonhuman animals. Singer continued to argue that all animals are equal and the ethical principle on which human equality is based should be extended to animals. “Animal liberationists argue that cruelty towards animals and destruction of the environment arise from the human domination of nature” (Susan, 2007). There are two opposing stances to animal equality one being that animals should be treated with the same rights as humans because like humans they do have personalities and feelings. The opposite viewpoint is animals should not have the same rights …show more content…
According to Singer, nonhuman animals as well as humans have the principle of equal consideration of interests because both are capable of feeling pain. If nonhuman animals share equal moral status with human beings, then we are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. It can be argued that everyone should do their part and help ensure that we are all equally permitted to our human rights without discrimination and animals share equal moral status with human
PHI: 103 Informal Logic
Instructor: Courtney Barclay
Evan J. McDaniel
April 20, 2015
Since the first edition of Peter Singer’s book “Animal Liberation” in 1975 the animal rights movement has been a topic of discussion. This movement or the animal liberation movement is an effort designed to protect mammals from being mistreated and regarded as property by humans. Peter Singer is known as a Utilitarian and believes in maximizing individual happiness while minimizing nonhuman unhappiness. Singer claims that all human beings have the same worth as all nonhuman animals. Singer continued to argue that all animals are equal and the ethical principle on which human equality is based should be extended to animals. “Animal liberationists argue that cruelty towards animals and destruction of the environment arise from the human domination of nature” (Susan, 2007). There are two opposing stances to animal equality one being that animals should be treated with the same rights as humans because like humans they do have personalities and feelings. The opposite viewpoint is animals should not have the same rights …show more content…
According to Singer, nonhuman animals as well as humans have the principle of equal consideration of interests because both are capable of feeling pain. If nonhuman animals share equal moral status with human beings, then we are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. It can be argued that everyone should do their part and help ensure that we are all equally permitted to our human rights without discrimination and animals share equal moral status with human