Record details

• ISBN: 0879751649
• ISBN: 9780879751647
• ISBN: 0879751584 (pbk.)
• ISBN: 9780879751586 (pbk.)
• Physical Description: xii, 182 pages ; 24 cm
• Publisher: Buffalo, N.Y. : Prometheus Books, 1981.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 179-182).

Formatted Contents Note:

Part One: Moral theory and animals -- Introduction -- Moral intuitions and moral theory -- Having a soul -- Relevant differences -- Man's dominion -- Duties toward animals as duties towards men -- Reason, language, and moral concern -- Social contract theories -- Kant's theory of reason -- Kant's ethic -- Man as "end in himself" -- Animals as means -- language and reason -- The ordinary notion of rationality -- Do animals behave rationally? -- Are only humans "language-rational"? -- Do animals use concepts? -- Animals and human language -- Moral concern and non-rational humans -- Our concern for non-rational human interests -- The moral relevance of pleasure and pain -- Interest in survival and freedom -- Moral concern and creatures with interests -- Interests, language, and natural signs -- Life and awareness as the source of interests: The Telos of living things -- Interests and awareness -- Moral theory and our world view -- Do animals have "moral rights"? -- The right to moral concern -- The right of life -- The violation of rights -- Animals as ends in themselves -- Specific rights and animal nature -- Telos and ethology -- Where do you draw the line? -- How do we deal with competing interests? -- Must we police creation? -- Don't animals kill each other? -- The non-living environment -- Don't we have enough problems with human morality? -- Isn't all this utopian?

Part Two: Animal rights and legal rights -- How are law and morality connected? -- Natural law theory -- Natural rights -- The rejection of natural law and natural rights: legal positivism -- The revival of natural rights -- Rights are a protection for the individual against the general welfare -- How rights are established -- How does this relate to animals? -- Don't animals have legal rights now? -- Do animals need rights? Their legal status today -- Legalizing the rights of animals -- What can we expect to achieve? -- Is our position absurd?

Part Three: The use and abuse of animals in research -- Introduction -- The six senses of research -- Moral principles for research: The utilitarian and rights principles -- Introduction to the testing of consumables -- The LD50 test -- The Draize test -- Carcinogen, mutagen, and teratogen testing -- The concept of alternatives to animal experimentation -- The use of animals in teaching -- Research cruelty and the training of scientists -- The debasement of language in science -- Creating a revolution in science education -- some personal notes -- Introduction to the use of animals in basic research -- Freedom of thought vs. the moral status of animals -- The use of "alternatives" in basic research -- Theory-based science vs. empirical dabbling -- Behavioral psychology: A paradigm case of bad science and unnecessary cruelty -- Improving the lot of research animals -- Feasible legislation -- Meaningful peer review and monitoring of research -- The role of humanists in science -- Introduction to the use of animals in applied medical research -- The focus of medical research and practice -- some philosophical reflections -- Introduction to the use of animals in drug research -- Introduction to the use of animals for product extraction -- Conclusion

Part Four: Morality and pet animals -- Morality, empathy, and individuality -- The triggering of empathy -- Pet animals and the social contract -- Human breach of contract -- Violating the right to life -- The human tragedy -- Violation of Telos -- Social institutions as a mirror of individual irresponsibility -- Viable legislation and the pet problem -- The need for an educational Blitzkrieg -- The role of human organizations -- The role of veterinarians.

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Subject:

Animal rights.