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Chapter 1 - Moral Considerability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2023

Catia Faria
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
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Summary

This chapter claims that wild animals are morally considerable. Because nonhuman animals are sentient, they have a well-being of their own – a necessary and sufficient condition for having moral consideration. It further claims that this is the case independently of the theory of well-being one might endorse. It then argues that nonhuman interests in not suffering are morally relevant and that equal instances of suffering should be equally considered, irrespective of species membership. It follows that our reasons to prevent or alleviate nonhuman suffering are as strong as our reasons to prevent equal instances of human suffering. Finally, it argues for a conditional claim: If death is bad at all, then under certain theoretical assumptions, death is also bad for nonhuman animals and, sometimes, it may be comparatively worse than for human beings. If so, the nonhuman interest in continuing to live gives us additional reasons to act on behalf of wild animals, by preventing them from dying.

Type
Chapter
Information
Animal Ethics in the Wild
Wild Animal Suffering and Intervention in Nature
, pp. 10 - 33
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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  • Moral Considerability
  • Catia Faria, Complutense University of Madrid
  • Book: Animal Ethics in the Wild
  • Online publication: 18 January 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009119948.002
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  • Moral Considerability
  • Catia Faria, Complutense University of Madrid
  • Book: Animal Ethics in the Wild
  • Online publication: 18 January 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009119948.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Moral Considerability
  • Catia Faria, Complutense University of Madrid
  • Book: Animal Ethics in the Wild
  • Online publication: 18 January 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009119948.002
Available formats
×