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Writing 3
Introduction
Animal rights have always been a topic of debate, for a long time. Experts, scholars, philosophers, sociologists and even psychologists have been debating over the issue and have presented their arguments. Both the sides, i.e., speaking in favor of animal rights and speaking against animal rights, have always given multiple and strong arguments to support their point of view. Some of them think that as animals are not humans, and have been created for the purposed of entertainment and use of humans, they should be utilized in the maximum possible manner (Vaughn). On the other side, the argument is that no matter if animals are humans or not, they also deserve to live their life independently and deserve to have same rights just like any other living being.
One of the most prominent advocates of this school of thought, is Peter Singer. Peter Albert David Singer is a well-known moral philosopher and a big supporter of utilitarianism from Australia. He is a specialist in applied ethics and addresses the issues from a utilitarian point of view. Singer is especially famous for his work and views that he presented in his most famous book “Animal Liberation” published in 1975. Out of the multiple articles published by Singer, on the topics of ethics, morality, and philosophy, one of the articles that got much fame and popularity is the one penned down by the philosopher by the title “All Animals Are Equal”, in 2008.
Discussion
Summary of the Article
Peter Singer in his article “All Animals are Equal”, argues that all animals should be given equal rights and should be respected in the same manner as humans are. Singer argues that equal rights are a concept not based on equality, but actually on equal consideration.
Views of the Philosopher about the Animal Rights
Singer holds the views that animals should be granted the same rights just like all humans, who are also considered living beings (Singer). The philosopher holds the view that the decision of not extending the rights on an equal level, is inconsistent.
Use of Utilitarian Theory by the Philosopher to Prove That Animal Interests Also Matter
The concept of utilitarianism explains that the concept of right or wrong is based upon the outcomes of those actions. Singer supports the notion to a great extent that the animal’s interests should matter to everyone, because they are living beings as well. They feel pain as well and are sensitive to physical pain and injuries.
Personal Opinion about the Views Present
I personally think that Peter Singer is absolutely right. His views about the animal rights are completely logical and hold great weight. These arguments are based upon the years of research, plus experimentation and hold great value in the circles of philosophy.
Personal Opinion about the Morality of Eating Meat
I personally think that animals are not food items and they look good in jungles or their natural habitats, instead of on plates.
Personal Opinion about the Morality of Experimenting on animals
As I am a big advocate of animal rights, I also agree on the point that animals are not items for experimentation.
Views of Carl Cohen about the Rights of Animals
Carl Cohen, another professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, also argues about the rights of animals. He mainly focuses on experimenting and testing of various products on the animals.
Objections to Cohen’s Arguments
Multiple authors and philosophers argued that Carl Cohen has provided very “kind” words in favor of the animals, but they prove to be too harsh for humans. Cohen seems to advocate the rights of the animals, but looks like he is shunning or denying the rights of the humans.
Response of Cohen to these Objections
Cohen provides a response to all these objections and counter-arguments in a cool and calm manner. He still sticks to his point and states that animals are not objects of testing. It inflicts pain upon them and hurts them as well, just like it hurts human beings.
Personal Opinion about the Views Presented By Carl Cohan
Just like I agree with the views presented by Peter Singer, I also agree with the viewpoint of Carl Cohen. I completely agree that animals are not a test object and no chemicals or cosmetics should be tested on the animals, as it may be a cause of pain for them.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, it can be concluded that Peter Singer, a great philosopher and one of the most noted utilitarianists, is also one of the biggest advocates of animal rights. He has strong arguments that animals should be given equal rights just like human beings, but not on the basis of equal comparison. Animals should be considered as equally, breathing and living beings just like human beings. All his views have been presented in his famous article “All Animals Are Equal” published in 2008, as mentioned earlier. Moreover, another philosopher, Carl Cohen, is also a big advocate of animal rights. He suggests that chemicals should not be tested on animals as it inflicts pain on them and hurts them, in the same manner as it would hurt humans. Both the philosophers received great criticism as well, but they remained solid on their points and shunned all the criticism.
Works Cited:
Vaughn, Lewis. Doing ethics: Moral reasoning and contemporary issues. WW Norton & Company, 2015.
Singer, Peter. "All animals are equal." Animal Rights. Routledge, 2017. 3-16.
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