Animal Exploitation And Consequentialism

Last updated on: October 14, 2019 at 3:35 am by Henry Karlson

Animal Exploitation And Consequentialism 2019-10-14T03:35:24-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

tiburi: Mouse in Experimental Lab / Pixabay

Many, if not most, people today accept that being deliberately cruel to animals is wrong. They understand there is something immoral in such activity, even if they cannot exactly state why it is immoral. Likewise, they even accept that there can be, and should be, some legal protections which prevent at least some kinds of cruelty towards animals.

On the other hand, most people also accept the notion that humanity is, in some way or another, superior to animals, and because of that superiority, they should have great flexibility in what they can do with animals. While they cringe when they see animals needlessly tortured, they are accustomed to animals being objectified and used as instruments for the sake of humanity. So long as there can be demonstrated some sort of benefit for humanity, animal exploitation is accepted. For example, it seems cruel to needlessly poison animals, but that is exactly what happens with many of them when they are given experimental drugs: not only are they poisoned to death, but they are often given toxins which give them slow, agonizing deaths, and this is done in order to test experimental medicines before trying them with human test subjects. Their deaths, their torture, might be seen as unfortunate.

It would seem that this acceptance of the instrumental use of animals, but a rejection of their outright torture when there is no value capable of being shown by such torture, comes out of a recognition that people who are innately cruel have a bad moral character and do wrong to follow through with such immoral desires. What is rejected is the direct, intentional goal of exhibiting such cruelty, not, however, the use of such pain for some other goal. They might be sorry to see some creature in pain, and desire it to be lessened if at all possible, but they will not intervene and put a stop to it in the way they would if they saw a sadist ruthlessly torturing an animal.

Is there any surprise consequentialism develops as a result of this? That is, on the one hand, we don’t like to see anything suffer, but on the other hand, we are wiling to accept such suffering, done by us, if it seems to benefit us in the end. But what is accepted in relation to animals, what is used to justify their abuse, can and often is used to explain away similar abuse to other humans. The use of unwitting human test subjects for experiments, like the Tuskegee Study on Syphilis, is the end result of this line of reasoning. Here, it was not mere animals, but fellow humans, who were turned into mere objects, with their subjective rights and desires ignored. As history also shows, such an attitude towards fellow humanity was not just had at Tuskegee, it’s rather a common one. Some group is declared by another to be inferior, so that the so-called superior group thinks they have the right and authority to objectify and do what they wish with what they consider inferior, especially if there is some benefit which can be shown as a result of such actions. Slavery, torture, medical experimentation, and the like have often been justified (and continue to be justified by some) by the combination of consequential thinking and the denigration of the other.

In this way, we can understand Kant. For him, like many others, animals are an inferior other, but Kant went further, trying to explain how and why he thought they could be objectified so that we owed them no moral considerations, as Robert Wennberg explained:

Kant, too, has his reasons for denying that we have duties to animals. His, perhaps, are the more famous. He argues that we do not have duties to animals because animals are not rational moral agents. That is, they are not beings capable of choosing between right and wrong, committing themselves to moral ideals, to life goals and projects, to religious outlooks, and so on. For Kant, only moral agents are to be respected as ends in themselves – that is, to be respected in such a way that their choices are not coercively overridden but honored and allowed to stand, to be allowed to choose the ends for which they are to live their lives, and to be fitting objects of duty.[1]

Kant’s theory of animals goes a long way in explaining why many humans likewise treat fellow humans poorly. They find a way to consider the other as no longer being a moral agent, and therefore, their exploitation is justified. Racists, for example, often see the other as sub-human, and so are not to be given the same moral rights as those who are “properly human.” Others, likewise, view babies, mentally handicapped individuals, or those in comas, or in some other incapacitated condition, as no longer being free moral agents, and so are capable of being instrumentalized. Though they might have the potential to attain moral agency, or they might have had it at one point in their lives, they currently lack it, meaning, they have no inherent rights of their own.

This is a problem with humanity in general. We find ways to excuse treatment of “the other” which otherwise go against our moral principles. Though, thankfully, as a society we currently have stretched ourselves into thinking less and less people are of the “other” to be treated as mere instruments of our will, we still find our collective will to power affecting the earth and its various creatures, continuing to engage practices which we have otherwise see as criminal when done to some other human person. This means we have not yet truly come to terms with our moral responsibility. If we do not do so, it is likely that whatever progress we have made will be lost, and we will find society once again finding ways to accept injustices which should never be deemed acceptable (such as torture or slavery).

Take, for example, genetic research. There is much value in it, but when it becomes used for genetic experimentation on animals, or for cloning, we begin to exploit them in ways which they have never been exploited before. In a way, as Andrew Linzey explained, it gives us new power over animals, in such a way that we totally dominate them:

No, it is not new that we are exploiting animals in new and cruel ways. But what is new is that we now have the absolute technological ability to reduce animals to things. Genetic engineering is one more step – yes – but also the ultimate step toward total human mastery over the animal world.[2]

Other forms of animal experimentation, while cruel, did not entirely take away their subjectivity; they could and would react as subjects (which, when considered, should have been enough to indicate they are moral agents, even if it could be proved that the range of their subjectivity is less than that of a human person). With genetic engineering, we totally undermine their subjectivity, because we working on animals at stages before such subjectivity have properly developed. They become the pure slave of our whim, and through genetic experimentation, we can wipe out or create entire species for our pleasure. What is more, we see what we create as property: we create and establish patents based upon our genetic research, which as Andrew Linzey also points out, turns them into pure property:

Genetic engineering represents the concretization of the absolute claim that animals belong to us and for us. We have always used animals, of course, either for food, fashion, or sport. It is not new that we are now using animals for farming, even in especially cruel ways. What is new is that we are not employing the technological means of absolutely subjugating the nature of animals so that they become totally and completely human property. [3]

It should not be difficult to see that this will not stop with non-human animals. Already, there is a question of who owns our genetic information. By accepting the premise that we can sell it off, that it can be owned by someone else, we have already begun the process which objectifies humanity and can and will turn us into property as well. What’s next? Outright slavery? With the massive income inequality getting worse and worse, and with it, more and more people having less means by which they can survive, it is not implausible to suggest that human history will repeat itself. The rich and affluent, as well as various corporate interests, can begin to buy out our genetic information; since we do not own it, our use of our own genetic code could then be seen as something “rented” to us. If we refuse to pay whatever it is they think they are owed, they will take the issue to the courts, and since they will be seen as the one with rights, it is frightening to consider what actions the courts might take to see we pay our dues.

For this reason, animal rights activists, with their concerns to protect the rights of animals as having moral claims on us, not only protect animals, but humanity from itself. For their rejection of the mere instrumental use of animals protect us from resisting the instrumental use of humanity. Of course, this should not be seen as the only reason why we should be concerned with animals and their well-being. It is, rather, the simplest and easiest case which can be made for those not yet attuned to moral arguments.

[1] Robert N. Wennberg, God, Humans and Animals (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2003), 130.

[2] Andrew Linzey, Animal Gospel (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), 101.

[3] Andrew Linzey, Animal Theology (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1994), 143.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

Previous Post

October 10, 2019

Not Only Should We See The Return of Women Deacons, Their Function Should Be Reconsidered To Fit Modern Times

Next Post

October 15, 2019 We Must Not Neglect The Homeless Nor Let Them Become Hidden From View

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz