| dc.description.abstract | This thesis discusses the plight of economic animals, and hope that through philosophical reflections and analysis of the ethical issues concerning economic animals, we may to find an effective way to improve the benefits of economic animals.
In order to give a fuller view of the situation of economic animals, I explore the theories of three philosophers as follow.
Peter Singer advocates the individual′s sentience is the necessary and sufficient conditions of moral status. Singer argues against speciesism and insists that we should give equal moral consideration of animals. The treatment of farm animals is immoral, the animals should be freed from the factory farms, since their sufferings overrates the interests of human desire.We should practice vegetarianism in order to boycott cruelty to farm animals.
Tom Regan argued that we have direct obligations towards ＂moral agent＂ and ＂moral patient＂, because both have intrinsic value are subjects of life. Hence, animals are also protected under the scope of moral principles, and thus have rights. If the animal sufferings is unavoidable, it is imperative for us to employ the principles of right to alleviate their pains.
Lastly, Mary Anne Warren use multi-criteria concept for the consideration of moral status of animals, in addition to animal′s sentience and psychic abilities, but also ecological, and animal-human relations, in order to have a comprehensive evaluation of the moral status of animals. Warren points out: between humans and inanimate things, animals have a indifferent moral status, which commands different moral obligations. Based on these principles, Warren seeks to have a rational ethical analysis of the plight of economic animals.
Accordingly, we argue that though we do not establish full protection of animal rights, we have to deal seriously the welfare of economic animals. We should try our best to reduce the sufferings of economic animals in their process of feeding, growing and slaughtering. We have the obligations to monitor the inhuman treatments of animals, raise the standard of management and certification of animal farms, promotes vegetarianism so as to reduce effectively the plight of economic animals.
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