tom regan’s argument for animal rights the rights view

TOM REGAN’S ARGUMENT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS

The Rights View

TerminologyMoral agent: can think/act morally, can be held responsible for actions (most of us, but not babies; not people with certain severe mental disabilities)

Moral patient: can’t think/act morally, shouldn’t be held responsible, but can be treated right and wrong (e.g. babies, people with certain severe mental disabilities)

Subject-of-a-life (SOAL)—a someone, not a something (see Regan p. 22 for mental capacities that are involved)

Inherent value—value for its own sake, as opposed to instrumental value for others

Intrinsic value—e.g. pleasure is intrinsically good, pain is intrinsically bad

Basic rights--e.g. rights such as right to life, right to liberty

Non-basic rights--e.g. right to vote, right to an education

EINSTEIN GAGA JOE BABY MARY CHIMP DOG FISH BEE

moral human“higher” otheragents moralanimals animals

patients

THE HUMAN/ANIMAL DIVIDE



patients

EQUAL INHERENT VALUE

1, 2

1. All moral agents have inherent value. 2. In fact, they have equal inherent value.



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

3

3. Because of their equal inherent value, moral agents have equal basic rights.

YIELDS



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE

4

4. The equal inherent value of moral agents must be due to their being subjects-of-a-life. (What else could it be based on?)

YIELDS

YIELDS



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE 5

5. Human moral patients are subjects-of-a-life too.

YIELDS

YIELDS



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE

6

6. So human moral patients also have equal inherent value and equal basic rights.

YIELDS

YIELDS



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS


7. Some “higher” animals are subjects-of-a-life too. (There’s no major mental difference between human moral patients and “higher” animals.)

YIELDS

YIELDS



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE

8

8. So at least “higher animals” have equal basic rights – i.e. equal to those of human moral patients and human moral agents.

YIELDS

YIELDS



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE

YIELDS

YIELDS

?

OBJECTIONSCarl Cohen



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

SUBJECTS-OF-A-LIFE

4

4. The equal inherent value of moral agents must be due to their being subjects-of-a-life. (What else could it be based on?)

YIELDS

YIELDS

CARL COHENOBJECTS TO PREMISE 4



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

YIELDS

YIELDS

MORALITY, SELF-AWARENESS, REASON

COHEN: INHERENT VALUE/RIGHTS

COME FROM DISTINCTIVELY HUMAN CAPACITIES



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

YIELDS

YIELDS


REGAN : THIS CAN’T BE THE BASIS OF

INHERENT VALUE—IT

WOULD MEAN BABY AND MARY LACK INHERENT

VALUE AND RIGHTS



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

YIELDS

YIELDS


COHEN: BABY AND MARY

BELONG TO THE SAME SPECIES AS THE MORAL AGENTS, SO HAVE THE

SAME INHERENT VALUE AND RIGHTS



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS

YIELDS

YIELDS


REGAN: COHEN’S APPEAL TO

SPECIES IS JUST FLAGRANT SPECIESISM



patients


EQUAL BASIC RIGHTS


81, 2

YIELDS

YIELDS3

4 5

6

OTHER OBJECTIONS???

REGAN’S LIFEBOAT CASE

Imagine they are at sea and sinking fast. If one is tossed off, the rest will survive. Regan says:• This is a special case—a

“prevention case”• All have the same inherent

value. All have the same rights.

• But somebody’s rights have to be overridden.

• Regan thinks the dog has the least to lose, assuming these are typical humans with typical lifespans.

• The dog must go! • He denies this is speciesist.

tom regan’s argument for animal rights the rights view

Documents

bad basic rights

human moral agents

human moral patients

rights view slide

animal rights

liberty nonbasic rights

life yields

inherent valuevalue