Ethics and non-human animals

elective seminars
general courses

Ethical reflection on the relationship between man and non-human animals dates back to the beginnings of philosophy. For centuries, however, these considerations were located on its distant periphery. Today, animal ethics covers a whole spectrum of issues, and the term itself is understood broadly, going beyond the branch of ethics focused on the study of human-animal relations.

The primary goal of the course is to provide students with theoretical knowledge as well as conceptual and methodological tools necessary to understand and critically analyze issues in the field of animal ethics. The second goal is to develop analytical and argumentative skills necessary to solve ethical problems related to the relationship between man and non-human animals.

Ethical reflection on the relationship between man and non-human animals dates back to the beginnings of philosophy. For centuries, however, these considerations were located on its distant periphery. Today, animal ethics covers a whole spectrum of issues, and the term itself is understood broadly, going beyond the branch of ethics focused on the study of human-animal relations.

The primary goal of the course is to provide students with theoretical knowledge as well as conceptual and methodological tools necessary to understand and critically analyze issues in the field of animal ethics. The second goal is to develop analytical and argumentative skills necessary to solve ethical problems related to the relationship between man and non-human animals.

The course covers following topics:

I THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

1. Historical theories of the moral status of animals

2. Contemporary theories of the moral status of animals – p. 1.: utilitarianism of 20&21st century

3. Contemporary theories of the moral status of animals – p. 2.: rights theories and abolitionism

4. Contemporary theories of the moral status of animals – p. 3.: feminist theories

5. Contemporary theories of the moral status of animals – p. 4.: against the moral significance of animals

6. Awareness, self-awareness and autonomy of animals – p. 1.: biology, cognitive ethology, cognitive science

7. Awareness, self-awareness and autonomy of animals – p. 2.: empiricism and theory

II DEMOCRACY AND THE CASE FOR ANIMALS

8. Animal rights vs animal welfare

9. Animal rights movement and animal activism as a social justice movement

10. Interspecies political theory?

III PRACTICES AGAINST ANIMALS

11. Ethical aspects of animal domestication

12. Ethical aspects of veterinary medicine

13. Ethical aspects of using animals in the food industry

14. Ethical aspects of using animals in the clothing industry

15. Ethical aspects of using animals in the entertainment industry

Primary sources of literature (in alphabetical order):

--- Adams, Carol J., The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist Vegetarian Critical Theory, [Twentieth Anniversary Edition], Continuum, New York, London 2010.

--- Carruthers, Peter, Against the Moral Standing of Animals, http://faculty.philosophy.umd.edu/pcarruthers/The%20Animals%20Issue.pdf.

--- DeGrazia, David, Moral Status As a Matter of Degree?, “The Southern Journal of Philosophy”, 2008, 46 (2), 181–198.

--- Donaldson, Sue, Will Kymlicka, Zoopolis. Teoria polityczna praw zwierząt, trans. Maria Wańkowicz, Michał Stefański, Oficyna 21, Warszawa 2018

--- Encyclopedia of animal rights and animal welfare, ed. Marc Bekoff, preface Jane Goodall [2nd ed.], Greenwood, Santa Barbara 2009.

--- Feinberg, Joel, Obowiązki człowieka i prawa zwierząt, trans. Zbigniew Szawarski, „ETYKA” 1980, 18 (grudzień), 11–38.

--- Francione, Gary L., Animals as Persons. Essays on the Abolition of Animal Exploitation, New York: Columbia University Press, 2008.

--- Probucka, Dorota, Filozoficzne podstawy idei praw zwierząt, Universitas, Kraków 2013.

--- Regan, Tom, Prawa i krzywda zwierząt [Animal Rights and Human Wrongs], trans. Zygmunt Nierada, „ETYKA” 1980, 18, 87–118.

--- Sprawiedliwość dla zwierząt, ed. Barbara Błońska, Włodzimierz Gogłoza, Witold Klaus, Dagmara Woźniakowska-Fajst, Instytut Nauk Prawnych Polskiej Akademii Nauk, Warszawa, Stowarzyszenie „Otwarte Klatki”, Poznań 2017.

Readings in Polish or English. Mandatory reading does not exceed 30 pages per week.

Knowledge

At the end of the course, the student has knowledge and understanding of:

- the role of ethics and bioethics in social debate on the relationship between man and non-human animals;

- terminology used in discussions on animal ethics;

- main issues and problems of animal ethics, main philosophical positions, axiological and normative approaches, and argumentation strategies used in social debate on practices applied to non-human animals;

- the importance of socio-cultural, legal and historical factors for the debate on the moral status of non-human animals.

Skills

At the end of the course, the student is able to:

- identify and analyze ethical problems in the relationship between man and non-human animals;

- critically examine views and arguments developed by other authors, including other students, or presented in the seminar readings;

- prepare a short written paper on the subject of the seminar;

- prepare and deliver oral presentation on the subject of the seminar.

Social Competences

At the end of the course, the student is ready to:

- critically evaluate the quality of received or acquired information;

- recognize the importance of ethics and bioethics as well as bioethical education for solving moral dilemmas in the relationship between man and non-human animals;

- recognize ethical problems and challenges related to his or her own research and professional activity, to promote relevant ethical standards.

The final grade will be based on:

(1) ACTIVITY: insightful participation in the seminar discussions and class group works – 50%

(2) ORAL PRESENTATION of a seminar topic – 25%

(3) WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT (case study) on a seminar topic – 25%

Attendance will be monitored on weekly basis. Two (2) absences are allowed per semester.

A ‘5’ grade will require consistent insightful participation in seminar discussions, drawing upon readings and personal experiences, as well as excellent oral presentation and written work demonstrating students’ mastery of the cases, terminology, precepts and principles discussed.

The lecturer reserves the right to issue an excellent grade (‘5!’) to the best person in the group, if this person also meets the criteria necessary to obtain a ‘5’ grade.

Final grades will be assigned on the following percentages::

100-90% - 5,0; 89-85% - 4,5; 84-75% - 4,0; 74-70% - 3,5; 69-60% - 3,0; 59-0% - 2,0