Giuseppe Musto
Professor. Collins-Smith
English 110
December 8, 2022
How Capitalism Perpetuates Animal Abuse
Western, Judeo-Christian, culture derives its fundamental attitude of humans towards
animals in the 28th verse of Chapter One in Genesis:
God blessed them [Adam and Eve] and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in
number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky
and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
The Bible, in short, gives humans dominance over animals, a right to “rule over” and “subdue” all
other creatures, from other mammals, to birds, insects, and reptiles. The history of humans—both
Europeans and others—using animals for food and for work, such as plow oxen—is as old as
recorded history itself. However, western capitalist society, particularly since the first wave of
industrialization, has made the exploitation of animals more systemized and ruthless than it has ever
been. Though the farmer owned his ox, the two were also, in practical terms, nearly comrades and
co-workers. Today, our economic exploitation of animals has lost any sense of that companionship.
Consider the use of animals to test pharmaceuticals and of industrialized meat factories and one
finds that the biblical injunction to rule has, in western capitalism, become a license for unbonded
cruelty and exploitation.
The nature of capitalism, especially according to “free market” purists, is to maximize
profits at all costs. It treats animals (often including human laborers) as mere resources to be
exploited for maximum economic gain. Capitalism treats non-human animals in particular as assets
to be used without regard to their sentience of well-being...
A prime example of capitalist callousness toward animals is the meat industry in America...
The concept of capitalism finds its first definition in the 18th century as a system in which
accumulated capital was invested to increase productivity (Smith and Cannan). In modern society,
the definition has not greatly changed, but a new form has been defined: the purest form. The purest
form describes the free market, in which owners of capital have no restraints in terms of how to
treat their employees and the machines( Hansen). Following this path, machines were not only the
mechanically built instruments designed to accelerate agricultural processes, but they broadened
their category to animals as well. Animals, who have been companions of human beings since the
beginning of history, and who were already exploited by the system, found themselves being bred
and raised to the maximum of their capacities. As such, animal abuse has reached in recent years its
highest rate. Globally 65 billion land-based animals are killed every year to be consumed, while
water-based animals amount to hundreds of billions (Hays). Company animals as well, such as dogs
or cats, amount to 10 million abuse cases in the US every year. These numbers do not represent the
real data on animal abuse, as many cases are not reported.
In this paper I will examine three industries that are particularly abusive toward animals: the
food industry, the drug industry, and the entertainment industry. I will suggest that there are two
lines of remedy that can reduce mistreatment of animals: 1) reducing meat consumption, and
developing marketable alternatives to meat 2) legislating strong and enforceable laws that will
protect animal well-being (such as humane treatment even of food animals). As for reducing meat
consumption and providing alternatives to meat, the science of creating synthetic food substitutes to
animal protein is developing rapidly and wants only political and social will to become marketable.
As for legislating laws to protect the well-being of animals, steps in this direction have been taken
in countries such as Switzerland, and can be taken further; they can follow the legislative model of
compassion laws that protect children and disabled persons, and be applied to non-human animals.
In this paper, I propose an understanding of animal abuse through capitalism. I furthermore insist
that the capitalistic system is the driving force behind the mistreatment of animals, having as its
motivating criteria human profit. As such, human profit perpetuates animal abuse through captivity
and mistreatment in farms, genetic modification for scientific purposes, and through animal
mistreatment for entertainment. To organize the rest of this argument, I will propose three solutions
which might, if implemented properly, solve, or at least decrease the rate of animal abuse. The three
solutions are composed by: implementing the production of alternatives to meat, introducing more
severe sanctions for animal abuse, and reducing advertisement of meat meals and production.
Since the 19th Century there has been substantial legislation to protect human workers, but far less to
protect the well-being and rights of animals. In fact, the notion that animals have “rights” has little
recognition in any western legal system.
Agriculture Capitalism significantly altered the relationship between humans and other
animals, as well as between humans themselves. It established a new connection with the natural
world, and as Zerzan states: “The land itself becomes an instrument of production and the planet’s
species its objects”. As a result, animals began to be domesticated for humans to ease their work
and to accelerate the process of agriculture. That also represented a chance for humans to improve
themselves and emerge from the nomadic lifestyles. In this sense Zerzan argues, “'in domesticating
animals and plants, man necessarily domesticates himself”. Along the same lines, with the
upcoming of capitalism, animals’ exploitation increased radically. Capitalism seeks the “eradication
of any uncontrolled movement of the hand, any unproductive glance of the eyes, any unwanted
wandering of the mind” (Collectives). In this context, humans were confined in the factories
everyday for long hours, but unlike animals, they had a beginning time and an ending time. Animals
were victims of the system as they had to be in the same factories at every moment. The main
objective was to transform them into machines for turning feed into meat, or other commodities,
and to remove anything that does not add to the final product. The evolution of society, alongside
the acceptance of the capitalistic approach represent the fundaments to the perpetuation of animal
abuse driven by human profit.
While animal abuse is certainly evident , many argue that modern agriculture and breeding
methods are beneficial for animals. templateAnimal care must be ensured by farmers and breeders
in order for the animals to remain productive. Furthermore adopting other techniques would
eventually be damaging to the animals. Some of these claims have grounds: “Industrially raised
animals also generally have protection from predation, shelter from elements, and some have
medical treatment for certain diseases. these are all good things” (McMullen).that being said,
animals who are bred in farms “are cared for not as animals, but as meat or fur producing
machines” (Regan). Many aspects of animal reared are disregarded or purposefully prevented from
flourishing. Farmed animals do not only have interest in the basics like food, housing, and security,
but also in things like health, movement, relationships, engagement with nature, and independence.
Considering this, capitalism advances a system in which every object is exorted for maximum profit
As such for animals, productivity does not represent a good metric for well-being. As McMullen
notices: “this is most viscerally illustrated by the genetic deformities that are now standard in the
world of animal agriculture”.
To demonstrate the cruelty that capitalism practices on chickens, one might consider that a
domesticated chicken living on a farm will generally have a life span of seven years if allowed to
live its natural life. Broiler chickens in poultry factories are usually killed when they are just seven
weeks old.
Additional evidence of animal mistreatment is represented by broiler chickens, whose
average life is of seven years, who are slaughtered when they are seven weeks old. In relation to this
topic, Nibert argues that animal abuse in modern society is “accepted” by companies, as influential
businessmen and newly powerful businesses leverage the emergence of broadcast communication
to further influence public opinion. For instance, Ichan’s condemnation of McDonalds treatment of
pigs , is an example. Ichan, who is the owner of more than 200 shares of McDonalds, assumed that
the usage of the cages would be prohibited completely. Instead, McDonalds only removed sows
from the pigs who were confirmed ot be pregnant. McDonald asserted that complying with Icahn’s
request would be impossible as “It would contradict veterinary science and harm the company’s
shared pursuit of providing customers with quality product at accessible prices” (Helmore)
. According to Nibert’s statement, leaders use their power and technological discoveries to avoid
confrontation and disagreement. In short, agriculture and modern breeding methods do not have
animal welfare as a driving force. These techniques aim to increase earnings for manufacturers.
Thus animal welfare is only protected to the extent that maximizing profit is the main objective and
productivity is only valued as profits increase.
Industrialization and technology have made cruelty to animals seem normal and acceptable
because cruelty to animals is invisible to consumers. The customer who buys a plastic wrapped
steak or chicken in a supermarket has little sense of the cow or chicken that was abused and
slaughtered in the making of the food product.
Animals raised for experimentation undergo mistreatment as well, driven by human profit.
Experimentation on animals can mainly be for two reasons: for scientific and economic purposes.
For what regards the first, animals undergo scientific research in order to help human society to
develop medicine and vaccines. It is commonly assumed that researching on humans would be
unethical but researching on animals is not . Animals are goodfit for research for different reasons:
“They are biologically similar to humans and susceptible to many of the same health problems.
Also, they have short life-cycles so they can easily be studied throughout their whole life-span”
(“Why Do Scientists Use Animals in Research”). Therefore, animals experience similar symptoms
to humans, in regards to diseases. Some might therefore argue that animal experimentation is good
as it aims to create medicines for humans. COVID-19 vaccines were initially tested on animals and,
after successful results, on humans. This clearly is a substantial result for humankind, but the ways
this process applies is brutal. Animals, in most cases mice, get infected with the virus and then
scientists test on them new medicines to find solutions. “When these genetically modified mice are
infected by the virus, they lose weight and become sick in ways that are similar to what happens
when people are infected with the virus”(The Important Role of Animal Research in MRNA COVID19 Vaccine Development | NIH). While many argue that experimenting on animals is beneficial
given their similarities with humans, National Cancer Institute Director Dr. Richard contends the
opposite:” We have cured mice of cancer for decades, and it simply didn’t work in humans.” The
conclusion was extended by the National Institutes of Health, which assessed that experimenting on
animals has been disastrous research. Additional evidence is detected by the 85 HIV/AIDS
vaccines, which have been successful on animals, but every single one of them has failed to protect
humans. These findings have relevant implications for the broader domain of animal
experimentation, as admittedly research on animals has in some cases helped humankind, but in
most cases experimentation on animals has only caused harm and has been vain.
Having just argued animal abuse for medical profit, let us now turn our attention to animal
abuse for personal profit. In recent years, the development of technology and the advancement of
human knowledge has brought researchers to implement genetical modification on animals
personally profit human beings Essentially, genetic modification involves modifying an organism's
genetic makeup by introducing, deleting, or altering specific DNA sequences in a way that does not
occur naturally. As the European Food Safety Authority stated it aims to “modify specific
characteristics of an animal or introduce a new trait, such as disease resistance or enhanced
growth”. In this context, the development of GloFish is a controversial topic. GloFish are
genetically modified fish which glow. As a result of their vibrant colors, they represent attractive
display animals for any freshwater aquarium. Consequentially, “in future, there will be no need for
aquarium lights - fluorescent fish will provide their own illumination” (McKie and editor) .
Nonetheless, the reality of GloFish is that they endure a life of struggle and often face earlier death
than their original status. As Penny Skinner states:” GloFish age quicker and die younger. By "age
quicker," I mean they show reduced vigor, a loss of muscle mass, and bending of the spine at a
younger age than the non-modified fish.” In modern days, the sale of GloFish is authorized only in
the US, and it is prohibited in Europe, Canada and Australia. Moreover, many pet shop owners
assert that they do not enjoy participating in the business of GloFish, but they do it for the reason
being that it represents profitable business. To sum up, genetical modification of animals is a
practice that inflicts harm to animals and that does not ensure a decent life for the animals, yet
humans exploit research on animals to gain personally and economically.
The entertainment industry is another sector in which animals have been abused for profit.
Zoos and circuses are notoriously abusive to animals, both physically and emotionally.
Capitalism perpetuates animal abuse through mistreatment for entertainment. Specifically, it
does so through zoos and circuses. Many people assume that animals in circus are trained to
perform their funny, yet amusing acts. Although not all spectators and researcher know the truth,
animals in circuses are “trained” and exploited in cruel ways. As Lorraine Murray argues, “Training
methods for animals used in circuses involve varying degrees of punishment and deprivation”.
These methods force animals to perform, not because they want to, but because they are afraid not
to. Additionally, a case in Tulsa, Okla, included 30-minute beating of an elephant (Murray) . To put
it in another way, animals exploitation in circuses aims at entertaining humans during shows, and it
implies punishments and deprivation of essential needs like food, movement and sociality. On the
other hand, many argue that zoos always have animals’ interest in mind. For instance, animals in
zoos receive medical attention, food , and avoid predation from other animals. Despite all these
beneficial elements, animals in zoos endure animal abuse as well. As Rachel Fobar assert, “An
animal welfare group has flagged hundreds of zoos affiliated with the World Association of Zoos
and Aquariums (WAZA) for mistreating animals, including making big cats perform in gladiatorstyle shows, elephants play basketball, and diapered chimpanzees ride scooters.” Moreover animals
endure mistreatment “both due to the inherently stressful nature of capacity as well as certain
condition within these facilities that exacerbate the mistreatment”(“Mistreatment of Wild Animals
in Captivity”). In these scenarios , they experience severe bodily harm, such as health issues and
self-harm, as well as psychological impairment , as evidenced by chronic stress, stereotypic
behavior, hyper aggression, and maternal neglect. Additionally, they run the risk of passing away
too soon and hurting or even murdering people. In short, while it is true that animals in zoos receive
care that they would not receive in the wild, they endure a life of abuse to profit the entertainment
of human beings.
The last paragraph will propose three solutions in order to decrease the rate of animal abuse.
The solutions are represented by implementing the production of alternatives to meat, introducing
more severe sanctions for animal abuse by companies, and reducing the advertisement of meat
meals and production. First, by implementing production of alternatives to meat, such as burgers
with meat taste and flavor, individuals could switch to eating them, hence decrease the rate of
animals slaughtered for feeding. Secondly by implementing, stricter regulations and supervision,
any individual, before committing abuse on animals, would endure a life of fear of being caught.
And lastly, by decreasing the number of advertisement of meat products, individuals would less
likely be inclined to buy them, hence once more reduce the number of animals murdered for human
consumption.
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