This essay sums up the discussion on killing animals, list six different views on the topic and find the best view out of them, and supplement the loophole of that view with the help of other views.
Animal rights has long been a controversial issue in the human world as the human culture holds a lot of activities that involve the killing of animals, such as meat eating and foxhunting. There are both animal-friendly views and animal-unfriendly views in the three main stems of ethics: utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Utilitarian Views
- Deontological Views
- Views from Virtue Ethics
- A combined approach on the evaluation of animal killing
- Conclusion
- Reference
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to analyze the morality of killing animals from different ethical perspectives, namely utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. It intends to explore the arguments for and against animal killing within each framework, ultimately aiming to identify the most compelling view.
- The moral implications of killing animals from different ethical perspectives.
- The concept of personhood and its relevance to animal rights.
- The conflict between human preferences and animal welfare.
- The potential economic and cultural consequences of animal rights.
- The limitations of utilitarian and deontological approaches in addressing animal rights.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the ethical debate surrounding animal rights, highlighting the cultural practices involving animal killing and the contrasting perspectives within utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. It outlines the essay's objectives, aiming to synthesize existing arguments and present a comprehensive view.
- Utilitarian Views: This chapter delves into the utilitarian perspective on animal killing, focusing on the contrasting views of Singer and Regan. Singer argues that killing non-persons, those without self-awareness and forward-looking preferences, is permissible if it maximizes overall utility. Regan, on the other hand, criticizes Singer's view, arguing that the principle of utility can lead to unjust outcomes and that considering taste pleasures as trivial undermines the value of animal life. He further points out the potential economic consequences of a widespread shift to vegetarianism.
- Deontological Views: This chapter explores the deontological perspective on animal killing, examining the arguments for and against killing animals based on principles of duty and rights. It will likely discuss the concept of animal rights and the inherent moral worth of all living beings. This chapter could also analyze the concept of speciesism, arguing that it is morally wrong to discriminate against animals based solely on their species.
- Views from Virtue Ethics: This chapter focuses on the virtue ethics perspective on animal killing. It will likely explore the ethical implications of human character traits such as compassion, empathy, and responsibility in relation to animals. It could also examine the role of virtuous practices and habits in shaping ethical attitudes towards animals.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Animal rights, utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, personhood, preference utilitarianism, animal welfare, economic implications, cultural heritage, speciesism, compassion, empathy, responsibility.
- Citation du texte
- Kwan Lung Chan (Auteur), 2019, Is it morally right to kill animals? Utilitarian, Deontological and Virtue-based perspectives, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/906416
