Book contents
- Animal Ethics in the Wild
- Animal Ethics in the Wild
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Moral Considerability
- Chapter 2 Speciesism
- Chapter 3 Wild Animal Suffering
- Chapter 4 Perversity and Futility
- Chapter 5 Jeopardy
- Chapter 6 Relationality
- Chapter 7 Priority
- Chapter 8 Tractability
- Conclusion
- References
- Index
Chapter 3 - Wild Animal Suffering
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 January 2023
- Animal Ethics in the Wild
- Animal Ethics in the Wild
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Moral Considerability
- Chapter 2 Speciesism
- Chapter 3 Wild Animal Suffering
- Chapter 4 Perversity and Futility
- Chapter 5 Jeopardy
- Chapter 6 Relationality
- Chapter 7 Priority
- Chapter 8 Tractability
- Conclusion
- References
- Index
Summary
This chapter defends the claim that suffering is likely prevalent in wild animals’ lives. It does so by describing the different ways in which the interests of wild animals are systematically frustrated by natural events. These include the wasteful reproductive strategy favored by the majority of wild animals and the enormous variety of natural threats to their health, as well as physical and psychological integrity. It ends by presenting a minimal case for intervention in nature. On the assumption that (i) we ought to aim at preventing or reducing the harms suffered by other individuals whenever it is in our power to do so, if (ii) all sentient individuals, including nonhuman animals, are fully morally considerable and (iii) suffering likely prevails in nature, then (iv) we have reasons to intervene in nature so as to alleviate wild animal suffering as much as possible.
Keywords
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- Information
- Animal Ethics in the WildWild Animal Suffering and Intervention in Nature, pp. 60 - 87Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022