Animal Rights

1. Animal  Rights "The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That's the essence of inhumanity" George Bernard Shaw

2. What does "Animal Rights" mean? –plural noun the rights of animals, claimed on ethical grounds, to the same humane treatment and protection from exploitation and abuse that are accorded to humans. HOWEVER “It is not the animals who are demanding rights, but the humans who are conferring rights upon the animals. This argument is not about the rights of animals but about the duties of human beings.” http://susanrosenthal.com/articles/animal-rights-or-human-responsibilities

3. History - Where did it all begin?? Then God said: "Let us make humankind in our own image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."                                                 Genesis 1:26-27 Discussion point:         What does dominion mean??                     What responsibilities does it imply, if any? Ownership? Stewardship?

4. History 18th Century - Centrality of sentience, not reason Frenchman Francois Magendie (1783-1855) was among the first to determine that many bodily processes resulted from the co-functioning of several organs. This realisation set in train numerous experiments that involved manipulative procedures rather than just internal observations. 17th Century - Animals as automata First known laws protecting animals The first known legislation against animal cruelty in the English-speaking world was passed in Ireland in 1635. It prohibited pulling wool off sheep, and the attaching of ploughs to horses' tails, referring to "the cruelty used to beasts”. In 1641 the first legal code to protect domestic animals in North America was passed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony - No man shall exercise any Tyranny or Cruelty toward any Creature which are usually kept for man's use.

5. History 19th Century - Emergence of jus animalium In 1824 the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (SPCA) was established in England. Its members committed themselves to the principles of kindness to animals. Later in 1840, Queen Victoria gave the society her personal endorsement by giving it the title Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals. Throughout the nineteenth century, the RSPCA successfully lobbied for numerous changes to legislation. The establishment of the SPCA/RSPCA started the regulation of treatment of animals in farming and domestication and some might say, the development of collective societal beliefs and values with regard to the treatment of animals. However, the medical and scientific community were also coming under scrutiny. No longer were people free to experiment with animals, the Cruelty to Animals Act (1876) required that any person wishing to perform experiments using live vertebrates must first be licensed, and all experiments involving animals be certified by the British Home Secretary.

6. History 20th Century - Increase in animal use and start of animal rights movement. Perhaps the most influential work to be published at that time, or since, was Australian philosopher Peter Singer's Animal Liberation (1975) Bernard Rollin's Animal Rights and Human Morality (1981) were crucial publications in the resurgence of popular interest in the controversy that is animal welfare. 21st Century - First rights proposed for animals • Animal welfare laws may be defined as those laws that seek to promote the interests of animals, within a legal framework that characterises them as property. • Animal rights law may be defined as an area of law which seeks to question animals' well-entrenched status as property, with a view to securing fundamental rights for animals. • Animals, Welfare and Bills of Rights: At the present time, there are no universally accepted animal welfare laws or ‘Bills of Rights’ that set out the legal interests and entitlements of animals.

7. The Value of Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3Y3qcdWkto&feature=player_embedded&has_verified=1 Discussion point:     Are human and animal lives of equal value?

8. Major World Religion Perspectives on Animal Rights Respect for the welfare of animals is a precept of some ancient Eastern religions, including Jainism, which enjoins ahimsa  (“noninjury”) toward all living things, and Buddhism, which forbids the needless killing of animals, especially (in India) of cows. Traditional Judaism and Christianity taught that animals were created by God for human use, including as food, and many Christian thinkers argued that humans had no moral duties of any kind to animals.

9. The Qur’an has a tendency towards anthropocentrism. Major World Religion Perspectives on Animal Rights The Qur'an explicitly allows the eating of the meat of animals. Buddhism considers all of life to be evolving toward higher consciousness. To the Buddhist, any practice by which man sustains himself at the expense of other sentient beings is considered wrong. Because Hinduism is a term that includes many different although related religious ideas, there is no clear single Hindu view on the right way to treat animals.

10. Something to ponder as you read the next few slides. Do animal rights vary for different types of animals? Can or should all animals have equal rights?

11. How are animals viewed in Industry? For thousands of years people have killed animals for their fur. Discoveries in technology have led to the development  of synthetic fibres, increased production in other natural fibres which do not require the killing of animals. How does this change our understanding of animal rights? Do we still need to kill animals for their fur? Should we? Fashion Medical / Scientific Research The use of animals for medical research has led to the development of numerous vacinations and cures for deseases which have killed millions of people. But at what cost?  How should vaccines be tested and developed? If animal testing didn't take place then people would still be dying from these diseases today.

12. How are animals viewed in Industry? Farming of animals Australians love food. In the last 30 years, our society has experienced a food revolution, which has transformed the lives of more than half a billion Australian farm animals who comprise the meat, milk and egg producing machines annually called on to satisfy our national appetite. The interests of farm animals have been largely disregarded in this relentless pursuit for profit. Most animals in factory farms live a life of confinement.

13. Loss and Destruction of Natural Habitats Does animal rights include the protection of animal habitats? Many natural habitats for animals are being lost through deforestation. Deforestation is the clearing of forests by logging and/or burning and occurs in many countries around the world for many reasons. Forests are cleared for many different reasons including, trees or derived charcoal being used as or sold for fuel, pasture for livestock, growing crops and expansion of communities who require more housing. This provides an income for many families. The removal of trees and destruction of these habitats has resulted in much devastation including biodiversity loss, aridity and the extinction of many species of animals.

14. Do individuals have a role to play in defining / shaping the treatment of animals? Consumer Choices Consumer buying power can make a difference. 20 years ago consumers bought eggs without much consideration for where they came from. Today we expect to be informed with regard to where our eggs come from so that we can choose between free range and cage eggs. As consumers we are now becoming informed with regard to how animals are treated before being sold to us as consumer products. Consumer demands for these products is on the rise. Is it elitism or genuine concern for animal rights? We have the choice to buy tuna which is harvested without needlessly killing dolphins. What obligation if any do we have to buy products which support the ethical and humane treatment of animals? Should financial cost play a role in our decision making?

15. Do individuals have a role to play in defining / shaping the treatment of animals? Domestic Pets Domestication is a process whereby man has structurally, physiologically and behaviourally modified certain species of animals by maintaining them in or near human habitation and by breeding from those certain animals who seem best suited for various human objectives. As life becomes busier what does this mean for our pets? What obligation do we have to them? OR Is this taking animal rights too far? Home alone for over 12 hours a day? Do we have the right to domesticate animals? Can we reverse the process of domestication? Is it humane to tame wild animals?

16. Indigenous people of Australia and the treatment of animals Over the past 60,000 years we have successfully managed our natural environment to provide for our cultural and physical needs. We have a holistic approach to life - the environment and our culture are one and the same. We have a lifetime commitment to protect and sustainably use our natural resources. "An indigenous perspective on flying fox harvesting" by Charles L Massi. Harvesting and eating wildlife is a vital part of indigenous cultures however animals are not kept in cages and are treated with respect. Indigenous peoples kill what they need and use all parts of the animal. What can we learn from the way in which indigenous people interact with animals?

17. Goldfinger Lyrics Artist:GoldfingerSong: Free MeAlbum: Open Your Eyes I didn’t ask you to take me from here, I didn’t ask to be brokenI didn’t ask you to stroke my hair, or treat me like a worthless token But my skin is thick and my mind is strongI am built like my father was, I’ve done nothing wrong So free me, I just wanna feel what life should beI just want enough space to turn around and face the truth, so free me When are you gonna realize you’re just wrongYou can’t even think for yourself, can’t even make up your minds So my minds a jail, I hate the whole god damn human raceWhat the hell do you want from me? Kill me if you just don’t know Or free me, I just want to feel what life should beI just want enough space to turn around cause you’re all fucked and someday maybe you’ll treat me like you WARNING This is a very graphic video clip and could upset many viewers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rRWLTGSNvg&feature=related

18. Conservationist/Activist Many groups of conservationists and activists have taken up the cause of defending the animal rights. Some of the best known include: Why is this such an emotionally charged issue with many activists being seen as trouble makers? Why do we have so many of these types of organisations throughout the world? Green Peace: Probably the best known organisation around the globe for defending the rights of animals that started in 1971 WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature: Protecting the wildlife around the globe and saving animals from extinction RSPCA - Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Organisation that safeguards the way in which people treat animals in captivity. PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: American organisation that supports the universal declaration of animal rights (1972)

19. Animal exploitation http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/ http://www.animalsaustralia.org/factsheets/animal_exploitation.php http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/index.html

20. Animal rights?

21. BIBLIOGRAPHY and FURTHER READING allcreatures.org - Working for a Peaceful World for Humans, Animals and the Environment http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/index.html Animals Australia, the Voice for Animals http://www.animalsaustralia.org/factsheets/animal_exploitation.php People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals http://www.peta.org/ Greenpeace -Asia Pacific http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/

22. RSPCA – Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals http://www.rspca.org.au/ WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature http://wwf.org.au/