Assignment #8: Animals and Literature

1. Read: Donovan, "Tolstoy's Animals."

http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Tolstoys_Animals.pdf

(Donovan is adopting an "animal standpoint theory."  On standpoint theory more generally, see the IEP's discussion:  http://www.iep.utm.edu/fem-stan/#SH7c).

Assignment #7: Animal Protection (updated with assignment)

Read

1.The final chapter of Gruen.

2. Interview with the abolitionist Gary Francione
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/media/pdf/gary_francione-the_vegan.pdf

You might also enjoy spending some time perusing his website:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/

Here's a short video response to Francione:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVKLzhQFdGE

3. Tom Regan on animal rights and violence:
http://arzone.ning.com/forum/topics/the-tom-regan-week-on-violence?xg_source=msg_mes_network

4. Chapter 5 of "How to Do Animal Rights":
http://www.animalethics.org.uk/i-ch5-2-violence.html

5. Francione, "Abolitionists vs. Welfarists":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su4dD7Aob4g

Finally, a short video outlining a related topic, "Intersectionality and Species":
https://www.animalsandsociety.org/human-animal-studies/defining-human-animal-studies-an-asi-video-project/defining-intersectionality-with-corey-lee-wrenn/

Q: Compose an essay taking up some aspect -- your choice -- of the debate between "abolitionists" and "welfarists."

Due: Friday, April 20.

Assignment #6: Animals in the Wild -- updated

Read: Chapter 6.

See also: Cooke, The Predation Problem; and Simmons, "Animals, Predators..."; and McMahan, "The Moral Problem of Predation."

No class Wednesday; see you Friday, the 30th.

Q: Ought we to interfere with (natural, nonhuman) predation?; due April 6.

Assignment #5:Animals and Captivity

Read Chapter 5, Gruen.  See also, Acampora, "Zoos and Eyes"

As I anticipated, I will not be on campus for several days.  In lieu of class meetings, all students will write weekly (rather than bi-weekly) essays detailed below (and, if this continues into next week, in future postings on this website).

1. Do the assigned reading and any necessary ancillary reading.
2. Here's this week's Q:  What is the "ethical dilemma" of animal captivity?  Is there a solution? (While I'm away, any weekly papers can be limited to 1-2 pages in length.)
3. Turn papers into my mailbox on the first floor of Porter 100 by 4 pm on Friday, March 23.  (They will be picked up by a colleague at that time.)
4. Raise any questions about the readings or writing assignment in the comment section of the appropriate post on my main blog-page (your comments will be visible to all).

Assignment #4: Experimenting with Animals (updated)

Read Gruen, Chapter 4.

Supplemental:

American Anti-vivisection Society:
http://aavs.org/

National Anti-vivisection Society:
https://www.navs.org/who-we-are/mission/#.WpRH4q6nHIU

Cohen:  "The Case for the use of Animals..."

http://animalstudiesrepository.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=moreaexp

Q:  Is there a morally compelling case for the use of animals in biomedical research?

Due: Friday, March 9.

Assignment #3: Eating Animals

1. Read: Chapter 3, Gruen.
Supplemental: Francione, "Veganism as a Moral Imperative."
McMahon, "Eating Animals the Nice Way."

Q: Is veganism a moral imperative?

Due: Monday, February 26

Assignment #2: Natural/Normative

1. Read: Chapter 2, "The Natural and the Normative."

Supplemental: (arguing against defenses of speciesism) http://www.animal-ethics.org/defenses-speciesism/ 

(defending speciesism) https://speakingofresearch.com/2014/03/20/speciesism-is-unavoidable/

You may also want to read up on the "is-ought gap," (google it; or read the debate in T12:
http://thesisxii.blogspot.com/2016/05/volume-221_15.html and Falyn's response in the current issue.)

Here's a thoughtful piece on Kantian indirect duties and the animal issue from the Animal Liberation Front:
http://animalliberationfront.com/Philosophy/The%20Failure%20of%20the%20Kantian%20Theory.htm

Q: How are the natural and the normative related?

Due: Friday the 9th.