Question

The final question reads: "What do you think it would change to begin to extend the moral calculus to other animals in this way?"

This question means,

1. If we acknowledge that animals can experience pleasure and pain, happiness and suffering--and if we then include their experience in our moral thinking--what would we have to change in our lives? What current practices would have to be changed, and why?

Also discuss:

2. Do you agree that we should include animal experience in our moral thinking? Why or why not? And if so, what should we be willing to change about our actions to show moral concern for animals? Be specific.

Answer both questions in detail.

Answer 1

In a scenario of considering the feelings of animals in our moral thinking, we have to change our life style, way of treatment given to the animals, allocation of resources towards the animal and most importantly the consumption pattern. These changes should take place, because morality never allows delivering pain to anybody and for this reason, humans have to adopt in a way that will consider animals as companion and co-habitat, rather considering only a medium that can produce consumable items and food. It will cause implementation of different ethical practices such as utilitarian, deontological and other principles that will propose the protection of animals as morally high regard activities.

So, following current practices has to be changed:

1. Treating animals as commodities and consuming them as food, will be changed.
2. Animals are not given their due rights and they should be treated with more rights.
3. Products to be received from the animal as current practice should be stopped completely and it should not happen without the permission or consent of the animals.

Above activities provide pain to the animals, and once we recognize it then, it has to be changed.

It would change to extend the moral calculus to other animals, because other animals will also have their rights groups and they will start raising their voices so that they will also be awarded rights as given to the one set of animals. It will develop transmission effect to the different groups of animals and whole world will be treated on equal terms where humans can understand the issues and pains faced by the animal and animals will get due protections.

Pl. repost other unanswered questions for their proper answers!