In discussion of inhumane treatment, a controversial issue is whether animals are entitled to their rights. While some argue that only humans have rights, others contend that animals should have the same privileges as humans. The author of “A Change of Heart about Animals,” Jeremy Rifkin, claims that animals should have better treatment. Rifkin rhetorically changes one’s view on this subject without the consent of the reader. Rifkin begins by showing the animals’ human qualities, then giving a counter statement to common objections, and finally ends it by utilizing negative language. Rifkin’s expressive strategy is to note the similarities between animals and humans. Rifkin mentions Koko, a 300-pound gorilla. Koko was able to learn sign language…
A Trunk Full of Empathy Throughout the years the generation among us has become less selfless. We worry less about those around us and worry more about what we’re going to consume for dinner or how many likes a picture of yourself will get.. In Jeremy Rifkin’s article, (published by Los angeles Times) “A Change of Heart about Animals”, he describes that animals are more like us humans than we think and that our empathy needs to constantly become stronger towards animals. Rifkin gives us a plethora of rhetorical ways to persuade readers to feel more towards animals. One strategy Rifkin utilizes is to note how other countries, universities and groups have already begun to discuss the right to animals.…
A “Change Of Heart” by Jeremy Rifkin explains how animals are more similar to a human that we ever expected, Rifkin tries to expand our empathy towards animals and makes us dig deeper into the world of animal rights. In this article the author brings up how animals have feelings such as pain, stress, affection, excitement, and love, more into the article the author gives us an example of how pigs get easily depressed if they don't get enough affection and people can relate in how if it only an “ animal “ how can it get depressed but heres is how animals are indeed much like a human but we keep making ourselves believe that they are inferior from us, the author also gives us another example of a gorilla from the gorilla foundation in northern…
For example, he has observed how with female chimpanzees, they can be seen dragging males together to reconcile after fighting with each other. Along with females bringing males together, the elders in the chimpanzee groups can be seen as neutral mediators for disputes within their community (De Waal). This example of reconciliation and the way chimpanzees deal with it, show fundamental moral behaviors that can exemplify emotions that humans too exhibit between each other. In addition, the articles goes into concepts of empathy. De Waal uses a powerful example of an older chimpanzee named Peony that has arthritis, sometimes making it difficult to climb and walk.…
In “A Change of Heart about Animals”, Jeremy Rifkin says that animals are more like us than we imagined and that we should treat them the same way we treat humans. Although Rifkin’s background is impressive, and he is probably very knowledgeable about economic trends in Washington DC, there is little evidence provided that he has much expertise in the areas of animal emotions and their cognitive abilities.…
One of the more sentimental portions of this essay deals with a personal interaction with a chimpanzee. Goodall explains her trip to Tanzania when she befriends an chimpanzee named David. She shares how she felt a close connection with him. She offered a nut to David but David refused by a very gentle, very similar to a human, squeeze of her hand to let her know he wasn't interested in the nut. Goodall reasons that chimpanzees are "physiologically close to humans"(157). In other words, chimpanzees think much like humans and express feelings much like humans. It is cruel to expose these animals to conditions in which no human would want to be, unless…
In this article, “A Change of Heart about Animals,” Jeremy Rifkin argues that animals are the same as humans because they have emotions, cognitive abilities and are self-aware. Rifkin supports his argument by using the rhetorical tools of comparing and pathos. His purpose is to encourage people to take action in order to treat animals more humanely. His audience is people who read the LA Times and his tone is compassionate.…
It is understood that this may be an attempt to encourage readers that may not believe in the concept of animals having rights to look at a bigger picture in relation to this topic and find connections. However, the idea of including aliens as a means of supporting her argument regarding animals is not something that the group was able to connect with as aliens are not considered a part of our society or law. The criticism that Sarah and Katie have regarding this argument is that Midgley discusses how using intelligence is not a viable way to determine if something is or is not a person, but feels that measuring the emotional complexity of the non-human is just as, if not more, challenging to measure accurately. Perhaps in some species, their emotional capabilities are not known to human beings because the animal reflects them in a way that we do not understand. While there is appreciation for the thought that emotions should be included as criteria in determining if something is or is not a person, Midgley should provide some information pertaining to the method in which this information can be…
“Prairie dogs have a significant effect on biological diversity in prairie ecosystems. More than 200 species of wildlife have been associated with prairie dog towns, with over 140 species benefitting directly…” (Williams 34). Terry Tempest Williams, author of the book “Finding Beauty in a Broken World,” delivers a strong argument as to why prairie dogs should be protected. Prairie dogs contribute to the welfare of animals around them in many ways. They create diversity, kinship and community. Williams also states, “They embody two million years of evolving intelligence” (Williams 33). They are social creatures, and they all live in towns and villages. They kiss when they greet each other, as a way of distinguishing one from another. Once recognized,…
About Animals". In this article he sheds light on the human like qualities of animals,…
Researchers have examined the different metaphors people use on a day-to-day basis that give animals a bad connotation: don’t be a chicken; scaredy cat; cow; bitch; shrew. Words such as these give animals a bad image and distort the human’s perception of those animals (Jepson, 2008). Chickens and cats aren’t cowardly, and female dogs are not a negative creatures. The treatment of animals is influenced by how they are socially constructed. The language humans use portrays animals as not only different but also as inferior. Often when people refer to animals they refer to them as “it” and “that” rather than he or she. Objects are bought, sold, and owned. By calling an animal “it”, it reveals the assumption that animals are property rather than living beings (Arran,…
Ever since the First Nations innovated new ways of survival, they were immersed in their relationships with the many animals they encountered. Many tribes believed that relating with an animal gave them a sense of connection with nature and the planet. Recently, I too have began to immerse myself in the study of native animal spirits as part of my work with the Touching Spirit Bear novel. There are three animals in particular who match a big part of my personality: the Racoon, Albatros and the Humpback Whale. These animals reflect the obvious traits I’ve been told I express in my everyday life. In a close investigation of how I have conducted myself over the years, it is clear these three animals exhibit many of the qualities that I have as a young man.…
I see only the overwhelming indifference of nature. To me, there is no such thing as a secret world of the bears. And this blank stare speaks only of a half-bored interest in food. But for Timothy Treadwell, this bear was a friend, a savior.” sais herzog a anti-transcendentalist writer who was not fond of timothy's ways of going about himself ,writing in the form and against the theory that nature is true beauty You can see the bond that has developed between this very wild animal, and this vary, fairly wild person.”…
First of all, in the text Saying Farewell to a Faithful Pal by John Grogan it says “When I brought my wife home from the doctor after our first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, that wild beast gently rested his blocky head in her lap and just whimpers.” This shows that animals will love, care for, and support you through tough times. Second of all, in the text Dogs Make Us Human by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson it says “Max who had trained himself to monitor his mistress's blood sugar levels even while she was asleep.” This quote shows us that dogs can not only love and comfort people but also help with medical needs. Third of all in the text My Story by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson it says “My New school solve that problem The school had a stable and horses for the kids to ride, and the teachers took away horseback riding privileges if I smacked somebody. I smacked somebody. After I lost privileges enough times I learned to just cry when somebody did something bad to me. I'd cry,and that would take away the aggression. I still cry when people are mean to me.” That shows us that people can resolve issues with animals without using violence. This is what these stories about animals told…
From a young age, I relished the time I spent with, or near, any animal. I used to sit outside and watch as birds and squirrels searched meticulously for food, then ran around chasing each other playfully in my backyard, wondering what their lives were like and how different, or similar, were their lives from mine? I would spend numerous hours teaching my dog tricks, and I wouldn’t give up without him completing the task, or at the very least, having made some progress in doing so. And every afternoon, during fourth and fifth grade, I read to my rabbits, bemuse my mother told me they adored stories; this, I later realized, played a large role in me becoming proficient in English in less than two years, and also in developing my love for books…