PHIL 120W Lecture 2: Animal Rights (Kant)
30 Nov 2016
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Members of the moral community (mc) have moral standings. Their interests count for their own sake. Moral principles identify these actions and justify. Rene descartes: animals are not member of the moral community, and we have no duties to them. Immanuel kant: animals are not members of the moral community but we have indirect duties regarding the treatment of animals. Duties: what i ought to do or, what i have to do. Animals are not self conscious and are there merely as means to an end. Kant: what do we know about the nature of morality: moral obligation hold for all rational agents, moral principles are requirements of practical reason. No matter who they are or what they look like. Practical reason: the ability to deliberate and make autonomous choices. I(cid:374)fa(cid:374)ts, tra(cid:272)y lati(cid:373)er, childre(cid:374) : are not rational agents, no moral requirements. An agent"s action has moral worth only if it is done from the motive of duty.
