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Philosophy

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Why Do Right-Wing Adherents Engage in More Animal Exploitation and Meat Consumption?
Even though a number of studies have established a link between right-wing ideology and meat-eating, there is a dearth of literature addressing why those with right-wing beliefs are more likely to consume animals. Recognizing the gap, this study of Dutch and Belgian adults begins to address the question of why, and finds that people with right-wing beliefs tend to staunchly oppose any movement that threatens traditions, or perceived human superiority. Though it is only an initial foray into right-wing psychology and its tendency towards animal exploitation, the authors establish a strong link between the two and encourage further inquiry. READ MORE

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Cruel Nature: Harmfulness As An Important, Overlooked Dimension in Judgments of Moral Standing
In this study, researchers conducted a series of surveys to try to better understand the role of "harmfulness" in how humans perceive moral standing, especially with animals. Working from the hypothesis that animals who are perceived to have a "harmful disposition" are accorded a lower moral standing - in the same way that humans who are seen as inherently harmful are accorded less moral standing - the researchers considered different angles to better understand why such moral inconsistencies might exist. The results go beyond the usual discussions of moral agency and patiency, and shed light on an often overlooked aspect of how humans do their moral calculus.  READ MORE

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‘‘We Don’t Tell People What To Do’’: An Examination of the Factors Influencing NGOs to Campaign for Reduced Meat Consumption
With the link between climate change and intensive animal farming ever clearer and more compelling, the question of how to address meat consumption has become a matter that environmental NGOs need to concern themselves with. However, with people's dietary choices being a sensitive subject, navigating the topic of meat-eating with NGO members (and the general public) is a complicated matter to say the least. This study of 48 NGOs from across North America, as well as Sweden, found that addressing (and not addressing) meat consumption in relation to climate change is strategically and tactically complicated, both for "environmentally-focused NGOs" and "food-focused" NGOs. The authors urge new efforts from both angles to address the pressing issue. READ MORE

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Charter Protection for the Great Apes: A Litigation Strategy for Animal Welfare and Animal Rights Activism in Canada
In a paper published on the Social Science Research Network, David Frank Shultz analyzes the possibility of extending legal protection to non-human great apes (orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos) so that they fall within the category of ‘people' under Canadian law. Considering the issue from several different perspectives – animal rights activism, a scientific and philosophical viewpoint, and a legal perspective – Schultz believes that there is sufficient legal room for a plausible claim for great apes to be included within this group. As the law on this point is currently indeterminate, the paper gives animal rights advocates valuable material for litigation of this issue to potentially enact significant social change. READ MORE

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Lessons Learned: Challenges in Applying Current Constraints on Research on Chimpanzees to Other Animals
In 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on the Necessity of the Use of Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral Research, was charged with determining the scientific necessity of the chimpanzee as a human model for biomedical and behavioral research. In his article, committee chair Jeffrey Kahn states that despite this charge, the issue of necessity simply could not be completely separated from ethics. Ethical considerations informed all of the central recommendations of the committee, from their insistence that chimps be housed in “ethologically appropriate environments” to their acknowledgement that chimps have the cognitive capacity to express their willingness (and unwillingness) to submit to research procedures. READ MORE

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Explaining Dehumanization Among Children: The Interspecies Model of Prejudice
This article describes two studies of children that explore the connection between assumptions of human superiority to animals and racism. White Canadian 6-10 year olds attributed more "uniquely human" characteristics to photos of white children than to photos of black children, and perceived the black children as more similar to animals. Parents' beliefs in human superiority strongly predicted children's racism. However, watching a video about similarities between humans and animals moderated children's attitudes towards humans and animals. READ MORE

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Yoruba Ethico-cultural Perspectives and Understanding of Animal Rights
This literature review argues that non-Western cultural perspectives of animals should be incorporated into global concepts of animal ethics. Using Nigerian Yoruban culture as a case study, the authors explore Yoruban idioms, taboos, customs, spiritual beliefs, and rituals that reference animals. While concluding that Yorubans cannot be classified as either welfarist or abolitionist, they conclude that "superstitious relational attitudes" may constitute a unique and significant contribution to animal ethics discourse. READ MORE
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