What’s the Least We Can Do For Animals? ~ Tim Gier

[Carolyn Bailey]

Do you suppose that, as a general matter, people ought not to kill each other?

If you are like most sane adults, then you do suppose that people ought not to kill each other, and in addition, you most likely do not kill, and have not ever killed, another person. However, if you are like most sane adults, you recognize that, despite your general principle that people ought not to kill other people, you know that there are particular circumstances that may require you to override that principle and accept that some people must be killed. Typically, most people will say that if another person is about to kill them or someone they love, then whatever force is necessary to stop that person, up to and including lethal force, would be justifiable. Many people would make other exceptions to the general principle against killing other people.

Still, most people will hold, as a general principle that, barring extreme circumstances, killing another person is something they will not do, because other people ought not to be killed.

Now, there are people, like myself, that hold, as a general matter, that in addition to other people, other animals also ought not to be killed. Obviously, if there are exceptions to the general principle against killing other people (as there is in the case of self-defense) then there will also be exceptions to the general principle against killing other animals. Therefore, if a person who held that, as a general matter, insects ought not to be killed, that person could still believe that people would be justified in killing malaria-carrying mosquitoes who were a threat to human beings.

Continue reading here.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/whats-the-least-we-can-do-for-animals/

 

[Brooke Cameron]

I really enjoyed this article. Tim, you are articulate and intelligent. Thank you for writing such a wonderful article. I'm such a fan!