Comments on: The Pigs and the Flood (by Jared Milrad) http://practicalethics.net/blog/the-pigs-and-the-flood-by-jared-milrad/ Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:49:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: The Moral Guy http://practicalethics.net/blog/the-pigs-and-the-flood-by-jared-milrad/comment-page-1/#comment-21569 The Moral Guy Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:02:08 +0000 http://practicalethics.net/blog/the-pigs-and-the-flood-by-jared-milrad/#comment-21569 I think it's interesting to point out, as many animal rights activists do, that we tend to treat animals differently depending on seemingly morally irrelevant factors: pigs, after all, are smarter than dogs and can be very good companions, and so there doesn't seem to be a reason to treat pigs as expendable when we don't do the same with our more furry friends. But I don't think that goes very far in showing that we ought to give pigs more consideration, dignity, value or whatever: it certain isn't consistent to say that dogs are inherently better than pigs, but why can't we say we put more value on a dog's life and well-being because we're emotionally attached to them? Instead of saying dogs have more *moral* worth than pigs, we might instead just say that dogs have a greater instrumental value, and so we care more for them. Also, your claim that both dogs and pigs are sentient is, I think, controversial: I'm not an expert, but as far as I know it's unclear just how self-aware these animals are. Also, please feel free to leave me a reply if anyone's has a comment to what I've written; I always appreciate hearing from others! I think it’s interesting to point out, as many animal rights activists do, that we tend to treat animals differently depending on seemingly morally irrelevant factors: pigs, after all, are smarter than dogs and can be very good companions, and so there doesn’t seem to be a reason to treat pigs as expendable when we don’t do the same with our more furry friends.

But I don’t think that goes very far in showing that we ought to give pigs more consideration, dignity, value or whatever: it certain isn’t consistent to say that dogs are inherently better than pigs, but why can’t we say we put more value on a dog’s life and well-being because we’re emotionally attached to them? Instead of saying dogs have more *moral* worth than pigs, we might instead just say that dogs have a greater instrumental value, and so we care more for them.

Also, your claim that both dogs and pigs are sentient is, I think, controversial: I’m not an expert, but as far as I know it’s unclear just how self-aware these animals are.

Also, please feel free to leave me a reply if anyone’s has a comment to what I’ve written; I always appreciate hearing from others!

]]> By: spotted dog farm http://practicalethics.net/blog/the-pigs-and-the-flood-by-jared-milrad/comment-page-1/#comment-21523 spotted dog farm Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:09:17 +0000 http://practicalethics.net/blog/the-pigs-and-the-flood-by-jared-milrad/#comment-21523 great question to raise, but i'm not sure it's all that different. it's a fairly well-known fact (at least among those who were there) that many katrina dogs were shot by police after they'd been gathered in a local high school. great question to raise, but i’m not sure it’s all that different. it’s a fairly well-known fact (at least among those who were there) that many katrina dogs were shot by police after they’d been gathered in a local high school.

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