PHIL 2060

This course introduces the recent paradigm shift from anthropocentric ethics to biocentric ethics. The main objectives of the course are 1) to develop understanding of the main arguments concerning the moral status of nonhuman animals; 2) to cover the full range of different ethical positions regarding animals and discuss their advantages and disadvantages; and 3) to identify ideologies associated with thinking about animals and develop a critique which liberates us from one-dimensional thinking about animals. Topics addressed include whether animals have minds, whether animals have rights analogous in some way to human rights, and how to balance the interests of animals with other environmental goods. Other topics include animals as food, animal research ethics, animals in entertainment, cloning, biotechnology, companion animals, and legal and moral issues associated with animal activism.