Morals, Reason, and Animals

S. F. Sapontzis is Professor of Philosophy at California State University, Hayward.

"Direct and highly readable.... Sapontzis tries to show that certain differences between humans and animals, including differences in reason, even if they have moral import, do not make the case against animals that many people think they do and do not underwrite many facets of our present treatment of animals."-R. G. Frey, Ethics"In my opinion only five authors have made a significant philosophical contribution to the endeavor of placing animals in ethical theory: Singer, Frey, Regan, Mary Midgley, and S. F. Sapontzis. [Morals, Reason, and Animals is] an excellent, underappreciated work."-David DeGrazia, Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal"Sapontzis presents a strong case for including animals in the moral community, and his work is an important and unique contribution to animal rights literature."-The Animals' Agenda

• Preface Acknowledgments Part I: The Moral (In)Significance of Reason 1. Why Should I Be Rational? "Rationality" and Its Alternatives * The Methodological Counterattack * The Moral of the Story 2. Where Reason Enters In--and Where It Doesn't Incidentally Good Actions * Ulterior Motives * Acting Out of Context * Moral Agents, Philosophers, and Judges * Summary and Conclusion 3. Being Rational and Acting Morally What "Rational" Refers To * Can Only Rational Beings Be Moral Agents? * Acting for the Right Reason * Acting on Principle and Acting Morally * The Free, the Rational, and the Moral * Everyday Freedom * Pursuing Ideals vs. the Value of Virtue 4. People and Persons Metaphysical vs. Moral Persons * The Humanist Principle * The Logico-linguistic Defense of Humanism * The Phenomenological Defense of Humanism * The Transcendental Defense of Humanism * The Consequential Defense of Humanism * Conclusion Part II: "Animal Rights"? 5. What Liberating Animals Is and Isn't About The Moral Sense of "Animal" * Applying the Rhetoric of Liberation to Animals * Applying the Concept of Equality to Animals * Applying the Rhetoric of Rights to Animals * Is Animal Liberation an Affront to Human Liberation? * Summary 6. Three Reasons for Liberating Animals Liberating Animals and Developing Moral Character * Liberating Animals and Making the World a Happier Place * Liberating Animals and Being Fair * Conclusion Part III: Answering Some Objections to Liberating Animals 7. Can Animals Have Interests? Language and Interests * "Having an Interest" * Language and Desire * Language and Belief * The Psychological (In)Significance of Grammar * Language and Truth * Language and Self-Consciousness * Conclusion * Reason and the Moral Significance of Interests * Being Rational and Having Interests * Having Interests and Moral Standing 8. Moral Community and Animal Rights The Reciprocity Requirement * The Agency Requirement * The Relations Requirement * The Humanist Requirement * Conclusion 9. The Misfortune of Death Why (Supposedly) Only Rational Beings Can Have a Right to Life * Having vs. Taking an Interest in Life * Having Interests and Having Rights * Having an Interest in Life and the Right to Life * Suffering a Loss and the Awareness of Loss * Summary and Conclusion 10. The Replacement Argument The (In)Significance of the Replacement Argument * Six Ways of Evaluating Moral Standing * Describing the Six Ways * Six Evaluations of the Replacement Argument * Total Population vs. Prior Existence Utilitarianism * Prior Existence Utilitarianism and Obligations to Future Generations * Summary Part IV: A Few Consequences 11. Vegetarianism The Simple Answer * Exploiting, Slaughtering, and Harvesting * Exploiting, Killing, and Scavenging * Starvation 12. Whither Animal Research? Can Animals Consent to Research'? * Should Research Be Done Only with Those Who Consent? * Are Humans a Superior Form of Life? * Should Superiors Exploit Their Inferiors? * Summary and Conclusion 13. Saving the Rabbit from the Fox The Variety of Absurdity * Ought Implies Can * "Avoidable" Suffering * Conclusion 14. Plants and Things Environmental Ethics and Inherent Value * Environmental Crisis and the (Supposed) Necessity of Inherent Value * The Variety of Goodness and the (Supposed) Necessity of Inherent Value * Conclusion * Environmental Ethics and Ecological Holism * The Biotic "Community" vs. Animal Liberation * The Arbitrariness of Total Holism * Environmental Ethics vs. Personal Preferences * Morality and the Affirmation of Life * Summary * The Good of Nonsentient Things * The Environmental Ethics of Animal Liberation Notes Bibliography Index