AnS 211
Textbook Assignments
The purpose of the textbook assignments is for you to read and evaluate some of the ethical
arguments concerning animals that have been written. We will be using “The Animal Ethics
Reader” edited by Susan J. Armstrong and Richard G. Botzler for AnS 211 this semester. A
copy of the textbook has been placed on reserve in the ISU Library and copies can be purchased
at the ISU Bookstore. Look through the “List of Contributors” section of the book so that you
can become familiar with the authors of the articles included in the text. You may even want to
look up more information about some of the contributors. Some of the articles can be a little
difficult to understand for “animal science folks” as the articles are often written by
philosophers. Philosophers use their own terms and language just like “animal science folks” use
terms like steer, capon, and bitch that maybe unfamiliar to philosophers. Even though some of
the articles may be difficult to read, it is important that “animal science folks” are familiar with
the various philosophical arguments concerning animals. I have tried to restate some of the
author’s arguments. Should you feel that I have not fairly stated the author’s argument, please
include your own interpretation of the author’s argument in your homework assignment.
You are expected to read selected chapters of the textbook and prepare your response to
questions before class. Your individual responses to the questions should be typed and brought to
class. Satisfactory completion of the homework requires a thoughtful response to the questions
(more than a yes or no response). Your initial reaction to some authors may be that the author is
just “crazy”. Stating only that you think the author is “crazy” is not an acceptable response
either. You need to address the author’s argument logically and explain where and why you
disagree with their argument. Please read the questions being addressed by other groups for each
chapter. Each student is only required to read selected chapters (55-75 pages) from the complete
text (600+ pages) but I would encourage you to read additional chapters that may be of interest
to you based upon their titles and summaries listed here.
Be sure to put your name, due date and group number on each assignment. Your responses to
questions should be numbered the same as on this assignment sheet. Please copy the question
onto your assignment sheet before you write your response. Satisfactory responses to questions
will typically be a paragraph or more for each question. Your responses for each assignment
should fit on one page (front and back if needed).
In class, you will share your responses with your group, form a collective group response and
share the group response with the rest of the class. Since your group response is a collective
response it may contain some contradictory statements. Minority reports to each question from
your group are welcomed.
Responses to all questions must be in your own words, typed and brought to class on the
indicated dates.
Sep. 4, 2012 - 1st textbook assignment
Groups
Assigned Reading on overview and ethical theories
1&7
Forward, General Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2
2&8
Forward, General Introduction, Chapter 3
3&9
Forward, General Introduction, Chapter 4
4 & 10
Forward, General Introduction, Chapter 5
5 & 11
Forward, General Introduction, Chapter 6
6 & 12
Forward, General Introduction, Chapter 7
Questions for first textbook assignment:
Forward (all groups)
1. What are the five reasons cited by Dr. Rollin for a proliferation of concern about animal
use and treatment over the last three decades?
General Introduction (all groups)
2. How were animals perceived during the “hunter-gatherer period”, ancient Egypt and by
Aristotle.
3. When and who was the founder of the ASPCA? What were some of the early issues
addressed by the ASPCA?
4. When and where was the modern animal rights movement formed? What is the focus of
the modern animal rights movement?
Chapter 1 & 2 (group 1 & 7)
5. Tom Regan discusses “moral agents”, “moral patients” and “subject-of-a-life” to argue
for animal rights. Use Regan’s concepts to develop an argument for eliminating animal
products from human diets.
6. Cohen disagrees with Regan’s moral argument. Develop an argument for including
animal products in human diets that would be consistent with Cohen’s arguments.
Chapter 3 (group 2 & 8)
7. Paola Cavalieri talks about “speciesism”. Use Cavalieri’s views on speciesism to develop
an argument about testing medical products on non-human animals.
8. Develop an argument on the testing of medical products on non-human animals that
would not agree with Cavalieri’s views on speciesism.
Chapter 4 (group 3 & 9)
9. Peter Singer uses a Utilitarian approach with “equal consideration of interests” for his
arguments. Singer argues that “we should not eat chicken, pork, or veal, unless we know
that the meat we are eating was not produced by factory farm methods.” What stereotypic
assumptions are being promoted about “factory farm methods” in this statement?
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10. Singer concludes this article with “it would be better to reject altogether the killing of
animals for food, unless one must do so to survive”. Develop an argument that would be
consistent with Singer’s arguments on the use of bushmeat (killing of endangered wild
animals like gorillas and elephants) in Central Africa.
Chapter 5 (group 4 & 10)
11. Josephine Donovan says that “feminist animal care theory” is about “..listening to
animals, paying emotional attention, taking seriously – caring about – what they are
telling us.” Develop an argument about the use of animal products in human diets that is
consistent with feminist animal care theory.
12. Identify how someone might go about attacking an argument using “feminist care theory”
like the argument you developed above. What are likely to be weaknesses in an argument
using this theory?
Chapter 6 (group 5 & 11)
13. R. G. Frey questions whether non-human animals are the kind of beings who can have
rights. He argues that non-human animals have interests only in the sense that certain
things are good or bad for them. Animals do not have desires, because having desires
requires the having of beliefs which requires language. Develop an argument about which
companion animals could or should be euthanized that is consistent with Frey’s
arguments.
14. Considerable research has attempted to prove that apes and dolphins are capable of
communication (i.e. language) with humans. If it is accepted that apes, dolphins and
possibly other non-human animals have the ability to communicate (i.e. language), how
would see Frey’s arguments being impacted?
Chapter 7 (group 6 & 12)
15. Frederike Kaldewaij argues against the subjective value theory used by Peter Singer
(chapter 4) which identifies an individual’s good with its desires or values. Under that
theory, animals are not harmed by death because they are not capable of having desires
about their future existence. Kaldewaij argues that animals are harmed because death
deprives them of goods they would have enjoyed. Develop an argument about which
companion animals could or should be euthanized that is consistent with Kaldewaiji’s
arguments.
16. The well-known philosopher John Stuart Mill’s made a claim that “it is better to be
Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied, better to be a human being dissatisfied than a
pig satisfied”. Kaldewaij rejects this claim and provides her reason. What is your
reaction to Mill’s claim?
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Sep. 11, 2012 – 2nd textbook assignment
Groups
Assigned Reading on “Animal Capacities” and “Animal Companions”
1
Chapters 8 & 9 – Methods of study
2
Chapter 10 – Anthropomorphism
3
Chapter 11 – Consciousness, emotion and suffering
4
Chapters 12 & 13 – Consciousness, emotion and suffering
5
Chapter 14 – Consciousness, emotion and suffering
6
Chapters 15 & 16 – Consciousness, emotion and suffering
7
Chapters 70 & 71 – Animal companions
8
Chapters 72 & 73 – Animal companions
9
Chapters 74 & 75 – Animal companions
10
Chapter 76 – Animal companions
11
Chapter 77 – Animal companions
12
Chapter 78 – Animal companions
Questions for second textbook assignment:
Chapter 8 & 9 - Methods of Study by M. Mendl, E. S. Paul, and Barbara Smuts (group 1)
17. Mendl and Paul describe designed experiments to detect mental capacity. Smuts describes her
immersion into the animal colonies to observe their behavior and draw conclusions about the
meaning. What do you feel is the greatest strength and the greatest weakness of each method
of study?
Chapter 10 – Anthropomorphism by Sandra D. Mitchell (group 2)
18. When considering humans and chimpanzees, Mitchell argues that broad arguments against
anthropomorphism are not supported. She continues that anthropomorphic models must be
substantiated by evidence. She concludes that rather than determining whether other animals
are sufficiently human to deserve moral consideration we should focus on what capacities ought
to be the basis of moral consideration. Identify some capacities that you feel should be present
for an animal (human or non-human) to deserve moral consideration.
Chapter 11 by Bob Bermond (group 3)
19. Bermond argues that humans are different from most other animals in our brains and thus our
ability to experience pain. He cites the example of people being born with pain indifference
where they can register pain but cannot experience pain as an emotion. Without the emotion,
Bermond claims that no suffering occurs. In one case, a man could hammer wire nails through
his hands and feet but his audience fainted en masse during his performance. As a species,
humans have a high capacity for empathy. We are inclined to project feelings of pain onto
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others. Therefore, he argues that because we become so emotionally aroused when we see
other animals hurt or show pain behavior, it is almost impossible for us to consider the
possibility that these animals may not be suffering. Identify some situations where people might
feel empathy for another person experiencing pain. How important do you feel human empathy
is in clouding our perception of the pain or discomfort experienced by non-human animals?
Chapter 12 & 13 by Daniel C. Dennett and Marian Stamp Dawkins (group 4)
20. Dennett disagrees that nonhumans and even newborns have consciousness while Dawkins
believes that many animals have a conscious awareness of pleasure and pain. What evidence or
argument is most convincing to you about which animals have consciousness and which animals
have a conscious awareness of pleasure and pain and should be considered for moral standing?
Chapter 14 by Donald R. Griffin and Gayle B. Speck (group 5)
21. Griffin and Speck use the example of the scrub jays that were trained to cache food as evidence
of learning and memory. A preferred food becomes unpalatable after 5 days while another less
preferred food remains palatable longer. Sand was replaced to prevent odor cues from affecting
the jays. If the jays are allowed access to their cache after 4 days, they return to the preferred
food. If the jays are allowed to return to their caches after 5 days, they return to the less
preferred food. Are you convinced that the jays not only remembered where the food was
stored but also understood the amount of time that has passed and the expected freshness of
the food cache? Explain your agreement or disagreement.
Chapter 15 & 16 by Bernard E. Rollin and Gary Varner (group 6)
22. Rollin and Varner talk about which animals can feel pain. Varner concludes that there is strong
evidence that all vertebrates can feel pain and therefore cold-blooded vertebrates should be
protected under the animal welfare act. Rollin quotes one of his veterinary medicine students as
saying, “If I take your teaching seriously, no part of my life is untouched, and all parts are
severely shaken. For if I ascribe moral status to animals, I must worry about the food I eat, the
clothes I wear, the cosmetics I use, the drugs I take, the pets I keep, the horses I ride, the dogs I
castrate and euthanize, and the research I do. The price of morality is too high – I’d rather
ignore the issue.” Do you feel people in animal science can “ignore the issue”? Explain why or
why not. What is your reaction to the arguments of Rollin and Varner that animals feel pain?
Chapter 70 & 71 by Konrad Lorenz, Bernard E. Rollin and Michael D. H. Rollin (group 7)
23. Lorenz talks about how he saved his dog after it fell into an icy river but concludes that his dog
loves him more and is ever ready to lay down his life for him. Bernard and Michael Rollin start by
saying that we kill between 10 and 20 million dogs and cats per year and perpetuate dozens of
genetic diseases by adhering to dysfunctional “breed standards”. The Rollins argue that society
is “too paternalistic in dealing with rational adults, yet too lax in dealing with infractions against
innocent objects of moral concern – infants, children, animals”. The Rollins conclude that we
must “regulate ... the acquisition, management and relinquishment of companion animals”.
What requirements do you feel society should impose on pet owners?
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Chapter 72 & 73 by Paul Shepard and Anna Merz (group 8)
24. Anna Merz talks about her 10 year relationship with a black rhino she named Samia. Merz talked
about Samia sleeping in her bed and protecting Merz from other rhinos including Samia’s mate.
Paul Shepard describes pets as “civilized paraphernalia” and “confusing our perception of the
wild universe”. Shepard claims that wild animals establish “a rich, surprising, meaningful, and
beautiful diversity of life around us”. In contrast, Shepard describes pets as “deficient animals in
whom we have invested the momentum of two million years of love of the Others. They (pets)
are monsters of the order invented by Frankenstein”. What is your reaction to the story by Merz
and Shepard’s claims about companion animals?
Chapter 74 & 75 by Freya Mathews and James Gararino (group 9)
25. Mathews starts out with a quote from a Massai nomad, “Without animals, life isn’t worth
living”. She argues that the ‘green’ city of the future will be a “mixed community rich in habitat
opportunities for a great diversity of animal species”. Garbarino argues that “animal protection
and child welfare are natural partners”. He states that “the correlation between child
maltreatment and animal abuse is well established by social science research”. What is your
vision for healthy society for humans and non-human animals?
Chapter 76 by James Serpell, Raymond Coppinger and Aubrey H. Fine (group 10)
26. Serpell, Coppinger and Fine identify “situations in which animals used to assist persons with
disabilities or as therapeutic aides may themselves be harmed”. They argue that animals have
interests “in avoiding pain, fear, distress, or physical harm and in pursuing their own needs,
desires, and goals”. They cite concerns of overfeeding, spay/neuter and extracting canine teeth
from monkeys, inbreeding within dog colonies, dogs with hip dysplasia and retinal atrophy, and
orphanage like kennels and impoverished environments. What is your response in addressing
their concerns?
Chapter 77 by Clare Palmer (group 11)
27. Clare Palmer starts by reviewing the ethical positions of both Peter Singer and Tom Regan on
killing animals in shelters. Palmer then proposes a “relational approach”. What is your response
to Palmer’s statements that we should “respect the independent (feral) lives of dogs and cats”
and “their lives should not be regarded as lives not worth living” and that spaying and neutering
pets (and killing) is part of “human domination” for “an easier life for the owner”, “a form of
paternalism” and “making the animal into a better, more amenable companion”?
Chapter 78 by Diane Leigh and Merilee Geyer (group 12)
28. Leigh and Geyer argue that unintentional breeding, intentional breeding based upon ignorance,
and “puppy mills” are the important causes of companion animal overpopulation. They argue
for ordinances requiring spaying and neutering of dogs and cats, with limited exceptions.
Describe your position on ordinances that require spaying and neutering of dogs and cats.
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Sep. 18, 2012 – 3rd textbook assignment
Groups
Assigned Reading on “Animals for food”
1
Chapter 25 – Animals for food
2
Chapter 26 – Animals for food
3
Chapter 27 – Animals for food
4
Chapter 28 – Animals for food
5
Chapter 29 – Animals for food
6
Chapter 30 – Animals for food
7
Chapter 31 – Animals for food
8
Chapter 32 – Animals for food
9
Chapter 33 – Animals for food
10
Chapter 34 – Animals for food
11
Chapters 35 & 38 – Religious perspectives
12
Chapters 36 & 37 – Religious perspectives
Questions for third textbook assignment:
Chapter 25 by David DeGrazia (group 1)
29. DeGrazia provides a very negative description of the lives of Hen X, Hog Y and Cow and Calf Z on
a factory farm. He states that the industry kills 100 million mammals and 5 billion birds annually
and concludes that factory farms cause massive harm to animals. Finally, he states that
consumers do not need the products of these factory farms and in fact these products are
associated with higher rates of heart disease, obesity, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes and certain
cancers. He concludes that traditional family farms cause less harm but there is a strong moral
case against them as well. How would you advise someone in production agriculture to respond
to DeGazia’s arguments?
Chapter 26 by Temple Grandin (group 2)
30. Grandin, who is autistic, describes her thoughts as running a videotape in her imagination. She
talks about fears being intense but then subsiding like an afternoon thunderstorm. She proceeds
to argue that her autism has given her a better view of how non-human animals experience
thoughts. Grandin concludes by justifying her concern about animals with being involved in their
slaughter. “Death at the slaughter plant is quicker and less painful than death in the wild.” She
talks about the symbiotic relationship of humans and animals used for food. She concludes by
stating that “the people who are completely out of touch with nature are the most afraid of
death”. Do you feel that Grandin’s hypothesis that non-human animals experience thoughts
similar to an autistic person is reasonable? Do you feel that Grandin’s justification for her efforts
to improve conditions at slaughter facilities is adequate? Why or why not?
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Chapter 27 by Temple Grandin (group 3)
31. Grandin notes that tremendous improvements in handling and stunning occurred between 1997
and 1999. She claims that the improvements occurred because fast food companies required
audits of slaughter facilities. She references several studies to claim that vocalizations in both
cattle and pigs are correlated with physiological measures of stress and pain. She concludes
that: “People manage the things that they measure.” What is your reaction to Grandin’s claim
that animal welfare has improved as a result of the audits of slaughter facilities? Identify an
animal handling facility (other than slaughter facilities) familiar to you and indicate some
measurements that could be used to assess welfare?
Chapter 28 by Michael C. Appleby (group 4)
32. Appleby notes that the proportion of income spent on food in developed countries declined
from 25-33% after World War II to about 10% now. He argues that people should be able to
spend more of their income on food. Appleby notes that some increases in productivity are
associated with increases in animal welfare but other increases in productivity may result in
reduced animal welfare. Only about 19 cents of the consumer food dollar reaches the producer.
Increasing the producer costs by 10% to improve animal welfare and passing the increased cost
along to the consumer would only add 1.9% to the consumer food price. He notes that such
action requires protection against imports from countries without improved welfare. What
would your reaction be to legislation that clearly improved animal welfare as long as there is a
reasonable expectation that the increased costs would be passed on to consumers?
Chapter 29 by Animal Agriculture Alliance (group 5)
33. The Animal Agriculture Alliance lists some myths and facts to counteract the myths. The first
myth that they list is that “farm animals deserve the same rights as you or I”. The Alliance states
that this is not the view of the general population and that “man cares for animals so they may
serve him” and “man has a moral obligation to avoid cruelty”. Several other arguments are
presented by the Animal Agriculture Alliance. Which argument against the listed “myths”, do
you feel would be the strongest argument and why? Select one of the arguments and suggest
some way in which the arguments might be strengthened or improved?
Chapter 30 by Steven L. Davis (group 6)
34. Davis reminds us that Tom Regan argued that a vegan diet is morally required from an animal
rights view. Regan offered the least harm principle where “we must choose the method of food
production that causes the least harm to animals”. Davis argues that many animals are killed in
the fields as a result of agricultural production of food for humans. He estimates 1.8 billion
animals would be killed in the fields annually by producing a vegan diet for the USA. If half of the
land was dedicated to pastures for ruminant animals to graze, the total number of animals that
would be killed is dramatically reduced even accounting for the animals killed for food. Davis
argues that raising ruminants on pasture and eating them for food kills fewer animals than a
vegan diet and is therefore morally superior to a vegan diet. What is your reaction to Davis’s
argument? How would you criticize his argument?
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Chapter 31 by Bernard E. Rollin (group 7)
35. Rollin starts by reviewing the changes in moral concern for animals over the last 30 years in
areas like laboratory animals, zoos, and wildlife. Rollin states changes in concern about farm
animal welfare had not been as strong because much of the US public thinks that farms are “Old
McDonald’s Farm”. The traditional farm ethic was “we take care of the animals and they take
care of us”. Rollin states that some argue that “the public needs to know where its food comes
from” but Rollin has serious doubts about this claim. Rollin claims that legislation is needed to
restrict “management practices that cause pain to animals (castration, branding and dehorning)
as well as eliminate the aspects of confinement agriculture causing pain, suffering and distress”.
What are your thoughts about the effectiveness of using public education campaigns on where
food comes from versus legislation on how animals are treated in modern agriculture?
Chapter 32 by James Rachels (group 8)
36. Rachels starts by restating the basic argument of Peter Singer that it is wrong to cause pain
unless there is a good reason. He asserts that animals are made to suffer terribly for meat
production and since the only justification is that meat tastes good to humans, we should not
eat meat. He then provides exerts from Mathew Scully’s book “Dominion” and Michael Pollan’s
book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” which are used to support his assertion that animals suffer
terribly when raised for meat production. He concludes by stating that we should avoid beef and
pork produced as described by Scully and Pollan and “avoid factory-farm poultry, eggs and milk.
But free-range eggs and humanely produced milk are all right”. How would you advise someone
from the food animal industry to argue with Rachel’s argument?
Chapter 33 by Carol J. Adams (group 9)
37. Adams develops the concept of the “absent referent”. She states that we talk about eating meat
rather than eating dead animals. People make animals absent from the meat that we eat and as
such the animals become the “absent referent”. She claims this is a process of objectification to
separate the food that we eat from the animal which died and became our food. She says that
few people would want to eat meat if they had to slaughter the animal and be involved in the
meat processing. She claims that just as animals are absent referents from our food, women are
the absent referents from rape and blacks were the absent referents from slavery. What are
your thoughts about Adam’s concept of the “absent referent”? What are your thoughts about
the language that is used with food animals for example the use of the word “harvest” instead
of the word “slaughter”?
Chapter 34 by Kathryn Paxton George (group 10)
38. George argues against an ideal of ethical vegetarianism as she interprets Peter Singer and Tom
Regan. George states that females, children and the elderly have significantly different
nutritional needs than a typical male between 25 and 50 years of age. She states that most of
the people in the world do not live in a wealthy society where they have abundant food, access
to medical care and nutritional supplements. Finally, she states that requiring nutritional
supplementation would exacerbate rather than resolve the problem of unfairness. She
concludes that making vegetarianism an ethical ideal would either create substantial nutritional
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harm to some people or create a vast number of people in a moral underclass. She advocates a
“middle ground such as semivegetarianism” and “duties not to overconsume”. How would you
expect Regan/Singer and/or food animal producers to argue with George’s conclusions?
Chapter 35 & 38 by Norman Solomon, Martin Forward and Mohamed Alam (group 11)
39. - According to Norman Solomon, Judaism does not insist on vegetarianism but does have
restrictions on which animals and which parts of the animals can be eaten and how the animal is
slaughtered. Shehitah, method of slaughter, involves a single sharp cut across the tracheae and
esophagus by a qualified religious expert. The Torah demands “that one should not practice
cruelty to animals”. Human life is consistently valued above non-human animals.
- Forward and Alam state that in Islam, human beings have power over the animals, by God’s
permission. Muslims do not have dogs as pets but that does not mean dogs should be
mistreated. Animals are not to be caged, beaten unnecessarily, branded on the face, or allowed
to fight for human entertainment. “Human beings have a moral obligation towards animals.”
Few Muslims are vegetarians. Certain animals are forbidden (swine) and all must be killed in a
prescribed manner. “The man who slits its throat says: bi-smillāhi, allāhu akbar, ‘in the name of
God, God is most great’.” “Islam began on the fringes of the desert, where staying alive was the
pre-eminent concern of many people, and meat was regarded by them as a necessity, not a
luxury.”
What are the similarities and differences in the Jewish and Muslim attitudes toward the use of
animals for food? What are your reactions to these positions?
Chapter 36 & 37 by Rabbi Stephen Fuchs and Andrew Linzey (group 12)
40. - Rabbi Fuchs recognizes that that his religion does not compel Jews to be vegetarians. He
continues: “Hopefully, our dominion over the other creatures on earth will impel us to care for
and nurture them, not wantonly slaughter them to slake our appetites.” He concludes that “The
horrific cruelty of the meat slaughtering and packing industry has been well researched and
documented” so he became a vegan.
- Linzey provides biblical references from the Christian tradition that he claims appear to
promote vegetarian diets as well as meat eating. Linzey argues that violence between humans
and animals was not God’s original will for creation. His arguments continue that humans are to
live peacefully with animals but killing for food appears essential in the biblical world. “Even
when we kill under situations of necessity we have to remember that the lives we kill do not
belong to us and that we are accountable to God.” Linzey states that “in the rich West – it is
perfectly possible to sustain a healthy diet without any recourse to flesh products.” Linzey
concludes that choosing a vegetarian diet is “one small step towards the vision of a peaceful
world”.
How would you disagree with Rabbi Fuchs’ and/or Linzey’s arguments for vegetarian diets?
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Sep. 25, 2012 – 4th textbook assignment
Groups
Assigned Reading
1
Chapters 17, 18, 19, 20 & 21 – Primates
2
Chapters 22, 23 & 24 – Cetaceans
3
Chapters 39, 40, 41 & 42 – Laboratory studies
4
Chapters 43, 44, 45, 46 & 47 – Regulation, education & ecological studies
5
Chapters 48, 49, 50, 51 & 52 – Genetic engineering
6
Chapters 48, 53, 54, 55 & 56 – Telos and cloning
7
Chapters 59, 60 & 61 – Hunting
8
Chapters 57, 58, 62 & 63 – Wildlife and special problems
9
Chapters 64, 65 & 66 – Zoos and aquariums
10
Chapters 67, 68 & 69 – Zoos and aquariums
11
Chapters 79, 80, 81, 82 & 83 – Law and activism
12
Chapters 83, 84, 85, 86 & 87 – Law and activism
Questions for fourth textbook assignment:
List the chapter and author being read.
1. Briefly summarize the argument(s) presented in each chapter.
2. What did you feel were the strongest parts of their argument(s)?
3. What did you feel were the weakest parts of their argument(s)?
Address all 3 questions for each chapter assigned to your group. If your group is assigned five chapters,
your homework will include five sets of responses to these three questions.
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Example of a response for a chapter for the 4th textbook assignment:
Chapter 25 by David DeGrazia
1. DeGrazia provides a very negative description of the lives of Hen X, Hog Y and Cow and Calf
Z on a factory farm. He states that the industry kills 100 million mammals and 5 billion birds
annually and concludes that factory farms cause massive harm to animals. Finally, he states
that consumers do not need the products of these factory farms and in fact these products
are associated with higher rates of heart disease, obesity, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes and
certain cancers. He concludes that traditional family farms cause less harm but there is a
strong moral case against them as well.
2. The sheer number of animals that are involved in food animal production is large. If the
animals are mistreated (see my response in item 3), the mistreatment represents a large
scale problem. The obesity problem among the US population is well documented which
implies that we don’t “need” all the food products being produced in the US. The
combination of the two factors makes the production of food animals excessive.
3. I think the weakest part of the argument is DeGrazia’s description of the lives of the animals
on a “factory farm”. Although some of the described experiences may occur, the
descriptions are exaggerations designed to cause shock and empathy. The descriptions do
not represent the typical experience of an animal on any animal production unit.
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