Dr. Oscar Horta: "Veganism: Activism in everyday life"

Lecture Dr. Oscar Horta: "Veganism: Activism in everyday life" / Predavanje Dr. Oscarja Horte: "Vegantvo: Aktivizem v vsakdanjem življenju", 26.7.2012
University of Primorska, Faculty of Humanities Koper, Slovenia/ Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za humanistične študije Koper, Slovenija

ABSTRACT:
DR OSCAR HORTA ON THE ETHICS OF VEGANISM
26th July, 2012, Faculty of Humanities Koper, University of Primorska
4th VEGAN DINNER IN KOPER

Most of us have been educated since we were kids to think that animals are just there for us to use. When we are told that we should respect others, most people understand that it is only humans we should take into account. Due to this, animals are deprived from any significant respect, and harmed in ways in which it would be unthinkable to harm human beings. But should this really be so? What are the reasons why only humans should be respected? Is it because only humans have certain intellectual capacities, or because only they can use a language? But, if this were so, it would be fully justified to not respect those humans who don't have these capacities. Is it simply because we humans are more powerful, or because we just don't care for them? If this were so, then it would be fully justified to not respect those humans who suffer the oppression of those who are more powerful than them, and don't feel any sympathy from them. In light of this, perhaps we should rethink the ways we relate to nonhuman animals, and strive to live without causing nonhuman animals to suffer and die. Maybe the reason why we should respect others is that they can feel suffering and joy, as nonhuman animals, like us, can.

POVZETEK:
DR. OSCAR HORTA O ETIKI VEGANSTVA
26. julija 2012, Fakulteta za humanistične študije Koper, Univerza na Primorskem, 4. VEGANSKA VEČERJA NA OBALI

Večina od nas je vzgojenih tako, da o živalih mislimo kot o nečem, ki nam je na voljo za uporabo. Ko nas učijo spoštovanja drugih, to zahtevo običajno razumemo le v oziru do ljudi. Zaradi tega so živali oropane vsakršnega spoštovanja in oškodovane na način, ki bi bil nepojmljiv način ravnanja do ljudi. Ali to mora biti tako? Kakšni so razlogi za to, da spoštujemo le človeka? Je to zato, ker ima le človek določene intelektualne sposobnosti, ali zato ker edini uporablja jezik? Vendar, če bi to držalo, potemtakem bi bili upravičeni do tega, da ne bi spoštovali tistih ljudi, ki omenjenih sposobnosti nimajo. Ali pa razlog tiči v tem, da so ljudje mogočnejši? Ali pa v tem, da nas preprosto za živali ne briga? Če bi bilo to res, potem bi bili popolnoma upravičeni do nespoštovanja tistih ljudi, ki so zatirani s strani močnejših. Morebiti bi v taki luči morali premisliti kakšne odnose imamo z nečloveškimi živalmi in si prizadevati živeti tako, da jim ne bi povzročali trpljenja ali smrti. Morda pa razlog spoštovanja živali leži v tem, da so tudi same, enako kot človek, zmožne občutiti trpljenje in veselje.