Animals and Language

I know this is a little off topic from this weeks discussion of zoos, but I have been thinking a lot about language and animals lately. In Carol Adams' piece, "The Rape of Animals, The Butchering of Women", she says that phrases like "treating women like animals" or "pieces of meat" is damaging to the respectful treatment of animals. I am wondering if this is true. To compare a human to an animal is insulting. Animals are less intelligent than humans. We often say things like "you are acting like an infant" or "you're behavior is childlike" when we mean they are being immature. Is this insulting to children and infants? Is it offensive to compare humans to animals when we are insulting their intelligence?

Response to Skyla, "Animals as Clothing"

Skyla asked why our culture uses animals for clothing when there are so many other alternatives. I agree with Skyla that, in a society where there are plenty of alternatives, there is no moral justification to use animal skin for clothing. However, there are some explanations for this.

As Skyla stated, many people are not aware that they are wearing an animal product or byproduct. Most sneakers are made from leather unless otherwise stated. I know I did not know I was wearing sneakers made from cows until long after I became a vegetarian. So, a possible reason that people wear animal products is because they are not aware of what is in their shoes/clothing/etc.

As for more obvious uses of animals for clothing, such as fur, it is often a status symbol. This blog post really made me think about fur as a status symbol. The author argues that, for so long, White women wore fur because it was luxurious and fancy, and Black women were always denied this. Now that Black women may be able to afford the luxury of wearing fur, it can be symbolic for progress Black women have made. While I still do not think these explanations for the use of animals of clothing are morally sound, I think the contextual implications need to be considered.

Question: Is wearing fur morally justifiable?

Response to Todd's Argument For Hunting

Todd argued that subsistence hunting is the only morally defensible type of hunting. If people cannot get food from any other source, then we have no right to tell them they can't hunt. I agree with Todd that if hunting is necessary for some people to survive, then it is morally defensible for them to do so. However, I do not agree with how he got to that conclusion. Todd states that "An animal would kill to survive, so I justify it here on that basis" regarding hunting for food. In the beginning of the semester we discussed the fact that animals are moral patients and humans are moral agents. As moral agents, we can make "right" or "wrong" decisions. However, animals, being moral patients, cannot be held accountable for their actions. So, yes, an animal would kill to survive. And I happen to agree that humans can also kill to survive without being morally wrong. But you cannot make the jump from "animals do it" to "so we should do it too" without assuming that animals and humans both have the same capabilities of moral reasoning.

Question: Are there degrees of moral agency?

Response to Sarah, "Sliding Scale of Ethics"

Sarah argued that we should accept our family and friends for having different opinions than us. I think that there is a line where you shouldn't tolerate a family member or friend's views. As somebody else said in their blog, if the person is abusing an animal, you are obligated to speak up about that. I also believe that if somebody holds views that are ignorant and potentially dangerous, you should say something. You can challenge someone's beliefs politely without attacking them. In the case of hunting, it is most likely a hobby that people won't want to give up no matter what reasons you give. But I think you owe it to yourself to be honest about how you feel. It is hard to talk about touchy subjects, because people often get defensive and feel personally attacked. However, I think it's good to at least have conversations about these issues.

Question: Has anyone ever had a successful conversation with someone about animal rights?