Adventures in Terminology and Some Basic Ideas Animal welfare: the idea that it is morally acceptable to use animals for human purposes as long as we treat them humanely and do not impose unnecessary suffering on them. This translates into promoting welfare reform and happy exploitation. Animal rights (the abolitionist approach): the idea that we cannot morally justify using animals for human purposes. This translates into promoting veganism (no eating, wearing, or using animals). New welfarism: The position of many large organizations that they eventually want to see no animal use but they see animal welfare reform as a means to that end. My position on new welfarism: 1. If we cannot morally justify using animals, we ought not to be promoting welfare reform. Think of this in the human context: if we think rape is wrong, we do not promote humane rape. We promote no rape. 2. There is absolutely *no* empirical evidence that welfare reform leads to abolition. 3. There is evidence that most welfare reforms increase economic efficiency or are otherwise economically rational and will happen in any event as industry becomes more efficient. 4. The whole point of happy exploitation is to make humans feel more comfortable about consuming nonhumans. So why does anyone think that will lead to no consumption?
Posted on: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:20:37 +0000
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