Philosophy, Ecology, Animal Welfare, and the ‘Rights’ Question

Abstract

With few exceptions, most philosophers who present papers debating the moral status of animals in society and the pros and cons of giving animals certain rights, reflect, as one would expect, a classically occidental world view: an anthropocentric view that, as I see it, is not equipped to deal with the complex interfaces between human and nonhuman animals and the environment. Some knowledge of animal behavior and ecology is a prerequisite for anyone who wishes to discuss objectively and accurately, the question of animal rights. Also some knowledge of Eastern philosophy (see later) and the phenomenological approach of Merleau-Ponty (as reviewed by Dallery, 1978) would considerably reduce such anthropocentrism and help close the philosophical gap between reality, humankind, and nature.