User:Fasten/Speciesism

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Speciesism (or Speciecism) involves assigning different values or rights to beings on the basis of their species. The term was coined by Richard D. Ryder in 1970 and is used to denote prejudice similar in kind to sexism and racism.

The idea of speciesism is used mostly by advocates of animal rights, who believe that it is irrational or morally wrong. Its use implies disapproval of discrimination against non-human animals by human beings; that is, of anthrocentric speciesism.

Philosophers Tom Regan and Peter Singer have both criticized speciesism. Regan rejects it because it permits unjustified violations of animals' inherent rights; Singer, because it violates the principle of equal consideration of interests.

Veganism, vegetarianism or pesco/pollo vegetarianism are often seen as necessary consequences of rejecting speciesism as, when a subset of human rights needs to be applied to certain animals, the most eligible species are the primates and the more developed mammalian species, with the possible exclusion of rodents. This might include many common domestic species, like cows, pigs and horses.

The term is also used to imply double standards when arbitrary preference is given to a single species. In the western cultural area the following practices are commonly rejected:

At the same time the following practices are commony accepted:

Many anti-speciecists aim to separate eligible species by their capacity to experience pain or distress. A central nervous system is commonly accepted as a required precondition. Although this criterion does not enclose all animals it encloses most animal species that are used as domestic species.

[edit] Criticism

  1. The accusation of speciesism is only directed at humanity and never at non-human predatory species, that also feed in ways appropriate to their respective species. Even though it is not practically possible to accuse a shark or a lion of a carnivorous diet the advocates of speciesism do not generally consider predatory behaviour in predatory species theoretically unethical, which is sometimes seen as a double standard.
  2. Anti-speciecists are also sometimes accused of lacking understanding for the actual circumstances in developing countries, which do not match the supply of food in industrialized countries.
  3. A general criticism of speciesism is the question why it should be condemnable at all, as evolution is founded on the competition of the species. If humanity is capable of dominating all other species that should be seen as an advantageous development that hasn't always been for granted.

[edit] Refutation

  1. A counter argument against the accusation of double standards is that ethics are not natural and to place ethical expectations on a species that lacks the language and intelligence to phrase ethics is meaningless. The accusation of double standards implies that because anti-speciecists make no claim that emergency assistance is required when a predator attacks its prey the application of higher ethical standards by more intelligent creatures is inappropriate. The term double standards, used pejorativly, implies that ethics should be invariant to the actors, which is an arbitrary demand. Caste systems and social status have been used in the past repeatedly to make the attempt to establish hierarchies of more advanced ethics.
  2. Regarding lack of understanding for the actual circumstances it applies that existing circumstances cannot be a norm for ethics. Ethics must be deducible from theoretical considerations and circumstances must be compared to an ethical position, not the other way around. The consumption of meat has also become dispensable with the availability of wheat, sugar and seitan, which are efficient sources of nutrition. What remains is the inefficiency of meat, which only has an energy efficiency of about 10%, compared to the consumption of vegetables. This inefficiency may make meat attractive as a commodity that, having a higher cost of production, can be sold with a higher gain. Furthermore the problem to be solved in industrialized countries is rather that of supernutrition than that of malnutrition.
  3. The question why speciesism should be condemnable at all can be emphasized by asking the question why racism should be condemnable when you are capable of exploiting and oppressing other countries. It could be argued that humanity has left behind evolution and that education might be the relevant benchmark to distinguish more sophisticated and less sophisticated creatures (humans) until transhumanism, possibly, raises new, artificial borders. The application of humanist ideals to the homo sapiens and the separation from primates can be genetically motivated but the selection of genetics as a relevant criterion, even though it lends itself, is arbitrary. A possible (future) posthuman society might also treat the Homo Sapiens with speciesism for the very same reason and following human precedent.

[edit] In science fiction

Speciesism is a popular theme in science fiction, referring to a prejudice against other intelligent species. For example, during the reign of the Galactic Empire in Star Wars, many alien species were oppressed by the ruling government, which consisted mainly of humans. In this context, it is sometimes referred to as xenophobia.

In the Star Trek universe the Federation has a Prime Directive for the treatment of primitive species.

[edit] Religious ethics

Some religions are less speciesist than others. While animists may believe in the equality of all sentient beings, monotheists tend to believe that human beings are superior to other lifeforms by divine intention.

Generally speaking, the teachings of Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism are examples of religions that tilt towards being less speciesist, though the extent to which this is reflected in daily life in countries where those religions are influential is mixed.

Christian vegetarianism is, however, also known a dietary practice within Christianity.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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