TOM REGAN’S ARGUMENT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS The Rights View.
-
Upload
francis-hamilton -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
1
Transcript of TOM REGAN’S ARGUMENT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS The Rights View.
TOM REGAN’S ARGUMENT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS
The Rights View
TerminologyMoral agent: can think/act morally, can be held responsible for actions (most of us, but not babies; not people with certain severe mental disabilities)
Moral patient: can’t think/act morally, shouldn’t be held responsible, but can be treated right and wrong (e.g. babies, people with certain severe mental disabilities)
Subject-of-a-life (SOAL)—a someone, not a something (see Regan p. 22 for mental capacities that are involved)
Inherent value—value for its own sake, as opposed to instrumental value for others
Intrinsic value—e.g. pleasure is intrinsically good, pain is intrinsically bad
Basic rights--e.g. rights such as right to life, right to liberty
Non-basic rights--e.g. right to vote, right to an education
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
THE HUMAN/ANIMAL DIVIDE
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
1, 2
1. All moral agents have inherent value. 2. In fact, they have equal inherent value.
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
3
3. Because of their equal inherent value, moral agents have equal basic rights.
YIELDS
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE
4
4. The equal inherent value of moral agents must be due to their being subjects-of-a-life. (What else could it be based on?)
YIELDS
YIELDS
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE 5
5. Human moral patients are subjects-of-a-life too.
YIELDS
YIELDS
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE
6
6. So human moral patients also have equal inherent value and equal basic rights.
YIELDS
YIELDS
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE 7
7. Some “higher” animals are subjects-of-a-life too. (There’s no major mental difference between human moral patients and “higher” animals.)
YIELDS
YIELDS
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE
8
8. So at least “higher animals” have equal basic rights – i.e. equal to those of human moral patients and human moral agents.
YIELDS
YIELDS
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE
YIELDS
YIELDS
?
OBJECTIONSCarl Cohen
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE
4
4. The equal inherent value of moral agents must be due to their being subjects-of-a-life. (What else could it be based on?)
YIELDS
YIELDS
CARL COHENOBJECTS TO PREMISE 4
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
YIELDS
YIELDS
MORALITY, SELF-AWARENESS, REASON
COHEN: INHERENT VALUE/RIGHTS
COME FROM DISTINCTIVELY HUMAN CAPACITIES
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
YIELDS
YIELDS
MORALITY, SELF-AWARENESS, REASON
REGAN : THIS CAN’T BE THE BASIS OF
INHERENT VALUE—IT
WOULD MEAN BABY AND MARY LACK INHERENT
VALUE AND RIGHTS
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
YIELDS
YIELDS
MORALITY, SELF-AWARENESS, REASON
COHEN: BABY AND MARY
BELONG TO THE SAME SPECIES AS THE MORAL AGENTS, SO HAVE THE
SAME INHERENT VALUE AND RIGHTS
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
YIELDS
YIELDS
MORALITY, SELF-AWARENESS, REASON
REGAN: COHEN’S APPEAL TO
SPECIES IS JUST FLAGRANT SPECIESISM
EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE
moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals
patients
EQUAL INHERENT VALUE
EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS
SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE 7
81, 2
YIELDS
YIELDS3
4 5
6
OTHER OBJECTIONS???
REGAN’S LIFEBOAT CASE
Imagine they are at sea and sinking fast. If one is tossed off, the rest will survive. Regan says:• This is a special case—a
“prevention case”• All have the same inherent
value. All have the same rights.
• But somebody’s rights have to be overridden.
• Regan thinks the dog has the least to lose, assuming these are typical humans with typical lifespans.
• The dog must go! • He denies this is speciesist.