Animal rights (Pollan)
January 10th, 2008 | Published in Morality, Animals, Quotes | 2 Comments
One of the odder ironies of animal rights [is] it asks us to acknowledge all we share with animals, and then act towards them in a most unanimalistic way.
–Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2006), p. 315
January 10th, 2008 at 12:43 pm (#)
There’s really nothing ironic about that. We _do_ share a lot with animals. But we have evolved (or should have evolved) to a place where we can be more civil to all animals. For example, if I see someone in a restaurant eating something that I want, I don’t go over and fight the person for it. Because we have evolved to be more civil, it is our responsibility to extend compassion to all other creatures.
January 17th, 2008 at 9:22 am (#)
What do you mean by “being more civil” and extending “compassion to all other creatures,” Tracy? Do you mean simply that it’s good for us to slit an animal’s throat so that it can die quickly as opposed to tearing into its hind quarters while it slowly dies (as would happen with animal predators)?
Also, how does “having evolved” to a point bring responsibility? If we “got here” simply by random selection, survival of the fittest, etc. (i.e. evolution), why do we all of a sudden need to concern ourselves with right (i.e. responsible) and wrong continuing evolution. As far as evolution goes, it’s right to eat; it’s wrong to be eaten. That’s essentially the whole rule book, isn’t it?