Review Guide for Exam #2        HRS 318        Spring 2007

Tom Regan, "The Case for Animal Rights"
1. Explain the distinction between MORAL AGENTS and MORAL PATIENTS.  Give several examples of each.
2. Explain Regan's criticism of the Utilitarian approach to the treatment of individuals.
3. Explain why Regan thinks that being alive is not a sufficient condition for having interests.
4. Explain in detail Regan's concept of a SUBJECT OF A LIFE.
5. Explain Regan's view of inherent value.
6. Explain Regan's analysis of the lifeboat case.
7. Present Regan's (seven-step) Argument for Animal Rights.  Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this argument in an ESSAY.

Cohen, "Reply to Regan"
1. Explain the distinction Cohen makes between the two senses of inherent value he attributes to Regan.  Give Cohen's examples of members of each class.
2. Which beings does Cohen believe have serious inherent value?  Explain his notion of dignity.
3. Explain Cohen’s Analysis of Regan’s Argument for Animal Rights.  Why does Cohen believe that argument is fallaciously equivocal?  What is equivocation?

Peter Singer, Practical Ethics (selections)
1. Carefully state the Principle of Equal Consideration of Interests (PECI).  Explain Singer's view of suffering and interests.
2. Explain Singer's analysis of RACISM.
3. What is SPECIESISM?  Explain Singer's account of speciesism.
4. Present the (ten-step) Argument from the Principle of Equal Consideration of Interests.  Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this argument in an ESSAY.
5. Present Singer's (four-step) Argument for Favoring the Interests of the Mentally and Emotionally Sophisticated.
6. Explain how the argument from marginal cases works.  Give examples of such "marginal cases."
7. Explain what happens to cattle in American feedlots.  Why does Singer believe that using animals as food is speciesist?
8. Explain the various kinds of experiments performed on animals.  Describe the Draize test.  Describe the LD50 test.
9. Why does Singer believe that using animals as test-subjects is wrong when it is wrong?
10. Identify other forms of speciesism mentioned by Singer.
11. What year did Singer put forward the views outlined in this chapter?
12. How do we know that nonhuman animals (Nanimals) can feel pain?  Explain the two reasons Singer articulates.
13. Explain the Benjamin Franklin objection to the argument for vegetarianism.  Explain in detail Singer's replies to this objection.
14. Does Singer believe that if a process is natural it is right?  Explain.
15. Explain the objection based on reciprocity.  Which (four) groups of beings cannot reciprocate our (normal adult Americans) nasty treatment of them?
16. In his conclusions, what does Singer say about slaughtering chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans?
17. In his conclusions, what does Singer say about cetaceans, monkeys, dogs, cats, pigs, seals, bears, cattle, and sheep?
18. In his conclusions, Singer discusses the replaceability argument.  Describe this argument.  Does Singer think it may be sound?  What can it not justify?
19. Under what circumstances does Singer think it is permissible to kill animals for food?

R. G. Frey, "Rights, Interests, Desires and Beliefs"
1. Explain the distinction between X being in someone's interest and someone having an interest in X.  Give examples.
2. Present Frey's (seven-step) Argument from Language to Beliefs to Desires to Interests to Rights.  Evaluate this argument in an ESSAY.
3. Present Frey’s (six-step) Argument that Cats Don’t Lie.  Evaluate this argument.
4. How does Frey reply to the objection that Nanimals may have simple desires?

DeGrazia, "Equal Consideration and Unequal Moral Status"
1. Explain the concept of experiential well-being.
2. What three aspects of suffering does DeGrazia distinguish?
3. Explain the concept of negative freedom.  Give examples.
4. Explain the concept of positive freedom.  Give examples.
5. What kinds of interests does it seem likely that a mouse has?
6. What kinds of interests does a normal human adult have?
7. Why does DeGrazia believe that moral status admits of degrees?
8. Present his Utilitarian argument that using a small number of cats to test possible cures is justified.
9. Describe the case of the vegetarian bushpeople and the accidentally anesthetized antelope.  What does D think this case shows?
10. Describe the case of D's Great Dane and the neighbor's eight-year-old daughter.  What does D think this case shows?

Nanimal Experimentation

DeGrazia, "The Ethics of Animal Research: What are the Prospects for Agreement?"
1. Briefly explain DeGrazia's "sliding scale" version of the unequal consideration view of animals' interests.
2. On which ten points does D think the biomedical and animal protection communities can agree?
3. On which four points does D think the two sides are unlikely to agree?
4. Briefly explain what D thinks can be done to build upon the ten points of agreement between the biomedical and animal protection communities?

Wikipedia article
1. What is the Animal Welfare Act?
2. List in descending order of numbers the species of Nanimals used in testing:  invertebrates (e.g. fruit fly), rodents, fish and amphibians, rabbits, dogs, Nonhuman primates, cats.
3. What type of rabbit is used in eye irritancy tests and why?
4. Describe the Draize test.
5. What type of dog is used in toxicity tests, surgery, and dental experiments and why?
6. What species of Nonhuman primate is used the most?
7. In what kind of research are cats most commonly used?
8. State the three broad, overlapping categories of experiments.
9. Which of the three categories is morally permissible?  Defend your judgment in an ESSAY.
10. Outline the argument of advocates of animal testing.
11. Outlines the argument of opponents of animal testing.

BBC Hot Topics
1. Does animal testing work?  Explain the four 'yes' responses.
2. Does animal testing work?  Explain the four 'no' responses.
3. Is animal testing morally right?  Explain the four 'yes' responses.
4. Is animal testing morally right?  Explain the four 'no' responses.

Hunting

Kheel, "The Killing Game: An Ecofeminist Critique of Hunting"
1. If hunting is a sport, then is it morally neutral?  Defend your view in an ESSAY.
2. State a tenable definition of hunting.
3. Identify the SEVEN features of play presented in class.  Explain which features do and do not pertain to "sport" hunting.
4. Present the (six-step) argument Kheel conceives that hunters advance for the claim that hunting is rule-governed and not cruel.  Evaluate this argument.
5. Identify the three types of hunters Kheel categorizes.  What is the purpose of hunting for each type?
6. Present Kheel's (four-step) Argument from Rape that (so-called "sport") hunting is immoral.  Evaluate this argument.

Gunn, "Environmental Ethics and Trophy Hunting"
1. Present Gunn's (five-step) Argument for using Human Surrogates for Dead Nanimal Predators, i.e. his argument for managed hunting.
2. Present Gunn's (three-step) Argument for Hunting to Restore Ecological Balance.  What ecological objection can be made to this argument?
3. Present the (three-step) Ecocentric Counterargument to Gunn discussed in class.  Note that Regan presses a version of this argument against (eco-)holists in the bottom paragraph of p. 457 of his "Are Zoos Morally Defensible?"  (See Zoos, Regan, #5 below.)  How might Gunn reply to this counterargument?
4. Present Gunn's (four-step) Argument for Trophy Hunting.  Evaluate Gunn's defense of hunting.

Zoos

Regan, "Are Zoos Morally Defensible?"
1. Explain the utilitarianism approach to evaluating the morality of zoos, as presented by Regan.  What are Regan's criticisms of this utilitarian approach?
2. Present Regan's Rights View Argument for Death as the Greatest Harm.
3. Present Regan's Argument for the Right to Respect.  Why does Regan think the rights view provides no basis for justifying zoos?
4. State Aldo Leopold's ecoholist principle of morally right and wrong acts, as presented by Regan.
5. Present Regan's (eight-step) Argument Against Unqualified Ecoholism.
6. What does Regan say about the relationship between legality and morality?

Lindburg, "Zoos and the Rights of Animals"
1. Describe the conservationist rationale Lindburg presents for zoos and aquariums.
2. Present The (four-step) Soldier Analogy Argument for Zoos.  Evaluate this argument.
3. Present The (six-step) Conscription Argument for Zoos.  Evaluate this argument.
4. Lindburg describes Zanimals as a mixed community.  What does he mean by this?  What are the biggest "global adversities" Wanimals face?

Knut and the Berlin Zoo
1. Based on our class discussion, reconstruct Mr. Albrecht's reasons for believing that Knut is condemned to a dysfunctional life and so ought to be killed.
2. Evaluate Albrecht's perspective.  Explain what you think ought to be done with Knut and defend your view in an argumentative ESSAY.

Wade, "Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior," New York Times March 20, 2007
1. Briefly explain the aquatic exploits of chimpanzees.
2. Briefly explain the weight-loss program of rhesus monkeys.
3. Briefly explain Edward O. Wilson's view of sociobiology and philosophy.
4. Describe in an ESSAY Frans de Waal's research on primates and monkeys and its implications for sociality, emotionality, and the roots of morality.
5. Explain the maternal behavior of macaques.
6. Explain in detail how chimpanzees defuse hostilities.
7. Briefly explain what happens to naughty rhesus monkeys.
8. Briefly explain how Capuchin monkeys demand equal pay for equal work.
9. State the FOUR kinds of behavior that are the basis of sociality.
10. How do humans and nonhuman primates compare on rewards, punishments, and reputation building?  How do they compare on judgment and reason?
11. How do humans and nonhuman primates compare on religion?
12. Briefly explain how morality and warfare evolved conjointly.
13. Briefly explain how different moral philosophers have responded to de Waal's work.
14. Briefly explain Peter Singer's view of conscious reasoning in ethics.
15. Briefly contrast the views of David Hume and Immanuel Kant on the basis of morality.
16. Briefly explain de Waal's view on violence, natural selection, and utilitarian deliberations.
17. Briefly explain one reason philosophers have for believing that biologists cannot reach to the heart of morality.
18. Briefly explain de Waal's reasons for believing that (nonhuman) animals have 'oughts.'
19. State de Waal's definition of morality.
20. What does de Waal think natural selection favors?  What kind of compass has natural selection provided people?

Pets, Abuse, and Activism

Shepard, "Pet World"
1. State Shepard's thesis.
2. Present The (five-step) Argument that Pets Don't Replace Wanimals.  Evaluate this argument.
3. Briefly describe the five Acts in the historical drama of humans and animals, as discussed by Shepard.  What does he mean when he says that pets are civilized paraphernalia?
4. Contrast attitudes about dogs in the Bible, the Muslim tradition, and over most of the planet with attitudes about dogs in the recent Anglo-American tradition.  What point does Shepard make with this contrast?

Garbarino, "Protecting Children and Animals from Abuse"
1. Present The (four-step) Argument from Empathy given by Garbarino.

Regan, "Understanding Animal Rights Violence"
1. Explain the contrast Regan draws between Abolitionists and Welfarists on the use of Nanimals.
2. Explain the contrast between Immediatists and Gradualists within the class of Abolitionists.
3. Explain the differing views of animal rights agitators on cooperation with the government and the destruction of property.
4. What strategy does Regan propose for animal rights agitators?

Dillard, "Civil Disobedience: A Case Study in Factors of Effectiveness"
1. Describe the two different strategies used by animal rights agitators analyzed by Dillard.  How were the results different in each case?

DeRose, "In Your Face: From Actor to Activist"
1. Carefully explain the best, most charitable interpretation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s claim that "If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."  How has DeRose taken this view to heart?
2. Briefly explain DeRose's three replies when he is asked why he devotes himself to helping animals when there's so much human suffering in the world.  Evaluate his replies.  Are they tenable?
3. Present The (seven-step) Argument for Justice for All given by DeRose.  Do you think some Nanimals are treated as slaves?  Which ones?  Explain your judgment in an ESSAY.