SINGER, “Practical Ethics: Equality & Animals”
1. What does Singer claim is the essence of his principle of EQUAL CONSIDERATION OF INTEREST?
2. What does Bentham claim is the vital characteristic that entitles a being to equal consideration? (Singer claims that this is a prerequisite to having interests at all.)
3. (a) What is SPECIESISM? (b) In what way is speciesism similar to other forms of unjust discrimination? 4. (a) In what ways might superior mental powers lead most adult humans to suffer MORE than animals would in similar circumstances? (b) In what ways might superior mental powers lead most adult humans to suffer LESS than animals would in similar circumstances? 5. Singer makes an argument against eating meat raised in certain ways. (a) What principle is the basis for Singer’s position?(b) What reasons does he offer in support of his position? 6. (a) What is Singer’s general position regarding experimenting on animals? (b) Is Singer claiming that animal experiments are always unjustifiable? Why or why not?7. What are your thoughts regarding the Singer reading?
REGAN, “The Radical Egalitarian Case for Animal Rights”
8. How is Regan’s position on animal rights different from Singer’s? Explain.9. What are Regan’s reasons for granting animals equal moral rights?10. Does Regan allow for experimentation on animals? Why or why not?11. If we need to test a dangerous AIDS vaccine, on whom do you think Regan would say we should test it? (While Reagan doesn’t address this specific question directly, you now should have a fairly solid understanding of his general position and reasoning. Explain what you imagine he’d say and what his reasoning would be.)12. What are your thoughts regarding the Regan reading?
