PHIL 226 - Animal Ethics

This course focuses on fundamental questions connected to our ethical responsibilities to nonhuman animals, as well as the philosophical debates over the principles and values involved in responding to them. What does it mean to treat animals well? Are our responsibilities toward animals grounded in recognizing that they have rights, and if so, what kinds of rights? Or, are they rooted in the welfare interests of animals, and if so, what do we need to do to meet these interests? Attention will be given to a broad scope of human-animal relations, from human-pet relations of affection and companionship to human-farm animal relations of consumption and being consumed. Ethical issues associated with the use of animals in research labs, animals in zoos, and urban wildlife will also be considered. Alternate years. (4 Credits)