Animal Rights and Moral Standing
Your assignment is to write a highly original paper that incorporates your own view on Animal Rights and Moral Standing
This is a Documentary summary/ Analysis paper, give yourself plenty of time to both research and contemplate the argument you want to present about the topic. Part of your research will be to watch one or more documentary films on this topic(see below)
Find an issue in environmental ethics that is addressed in one of the films, summarize it thoroughly, and then take an original and highly unique stand on that issue. This will be the thesis of your paper. Some of these documentaries are mostly factual reporting, and while issues may be raised, the filmmaker(s) may not take a particular stand on any specific issue. In other cases, you will clearly detect a particular point of view and position taken on various issues. Some of these films feature philosophical debates, and these are the best examples of arguers taking stands on opposing sides of an issue. In any case, decide what the issue in question will be in your paper, and determine where you will stand on that issue: pro, con, or middle-of-the road, on that issue. Be sure to clearly state your thesis early in the paper (first or second paragraph). In the body of the paper, you will be supporting your thesis as well as responding to and rebutting opposing views.
Once you have introduced the topic and stated your thesis in the introductory section of the paper, you will begin the work of constructing your argument(s) in support of your position as well as analyzing and evaluating the arguments of possible views in opposition to or in conflict with your view. You should be able to derive a great deal of evidence for your arguments and evaluations from the film(s) you watch, but you are of course welcome to do as much additional outside research as you need to do to establish grounds for your supporting arguments as well as your rebuttals of opposing views. The paper should integrate the philosophical concepts and ethical principles covered in the writings of at least three of the authors featured in the course Recommended Readings into the body of the argument or discussion of the thesis.
In sum, the paper should refer to at least three sources from the attached documents and two additional external sources, one of which must be chosen from among the documentary films compiled for you here. You may choose a second documentary film for your second external source, or you may use a standard secondary source such as a book, article, reference text, or appropriately selected web page. Thus you should cite a minimum of five sources in the paper. There is no maximum limit, but do not include any works in your works-cited page that you do not actually mention or discuss in the body of your paper. Cite your sources carfully, with page numbers for in-print sources, and URLs as well as retrieval dates for online sources.
Be sure to use proper documentation and citation formatting (MLA) Wikipedia may not be used. Strive for high academic rigor while also maintaining a direct, first person voice.
Sources to be used (see also attached sources)
1. https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=iSpglxHTJVM
2. https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=C0smnwdgChU
3. https://www(dot)huffpost(dot)com/entry/mark-bittman-vegan-before-6-vb6_n_3224415
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
People Should Become Vegan to Promote Their Health, Animal Well-Being, and Environmental Sustainability
Being a vegan is one of the most significant moves to end animal cruelty. When individuals start eating plant-based products only, they reduce the demand for animal products. In that light, fewer animals are mistreated or suffer in slaughterhouses and farms. In the documentary “11 Celebrities BEFORE and AFTER Going VEGAN” by LIVEKINDLY, it is clear that many celebrities are becoming vegan to promote their health, the well-being of animals, and the planet’s health (LIVEKINDLY 0:11). In some cases, many animals suffer when they are slaughtered or mishandled to meet people’s demand for meat, eggs, dairy, and other products. Decreasing the amount of meat and other animal-based products facilitates the health of the planet. For example, vegan reduces deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil degradation. Based on animal rights, these creatures have the right to live freely without exploitation by humans.
Animals should be treated with respect, understanding, and kindness and not mishandled to meet human demands. In numerous nations, including the United States of America (USA), animals are usually perceived as human property, which is something that enables them to be handled as exploitable objects. That is why society allows individuals to prioritize their desires, preferences, and interests at the expense of these animals’ well-being. However, the documentary reveals various celebrities who urge people to eat vegan food to reduce animals’ sufferings, improve their well-being, enhance the planet’s health, and foster individuals’ health. Some of these celebrities include Joaquin Phoenix, Rapper Snoop Dogg, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kevin Smith, Evanna Lynch, Rapper William, Simon Cowell, Lewis Hamilton, Miley Cyrus, Mean Suvari, Kim Kardashian West, Steve Harvey, Craig Robinson, and Rapper RZA (LIVEKINDLY 13:30). All these celebrities made it clear that their decisions to adopt vegan meals were facilitated by their drive to improve their health, reduce animals’ sufferings, and promote the health of the planet. Some of them are involved in animal awareness campaigns to sensitize people about the importance of being vegan. Although many individuals believe that they need animal protein in their diets, they just do not consider the variety of plant alternatives. The majority of celebrities mentioned above, including Smith and Robinson, said that they became healthier when they adopted vegan meals. Others, such as Lynch, emphasize the importance of treating animals with respect, instead of mishandling them in the name of food products.
In “11 Celebrities BEFORE and AFTER Going VEGAN,” all celebrities mentioned are acting as moral agents. In particular, a moral agent refers to a person who is capable of behaving based on the dictates of a specific ethical theory or moral code. The adult has emotional stability and unimpaired intelligence (”Moral Agents and Moral Subjects,” 1). Moral agents make rational decisions and behave in a way to promote what they believe. For example, Rapper Snoop Dogg partnered with Beyond Meat to foster healthy protein. The celebrity served Dunkin’s Beyond Sausage sandwiches to customers in Los Angeles (LIVEKINDLY 0:48). Dogg’s action showed that he promotes vegan meals and that people should consider plant-based protein food instead of relying on animal protein. Moral standing depicts that an entity has positive interests toward something. For example, moral standing on animal rights means that an individual is ready to do what it takes to promote the well-being of animals. Some celebrities in the documentary believe that animals should not be mistreated, which is why they encourage many people to take vegan meals to reduce animal suffering. Considering Peter Singer’s school of thought, anything that can suffer has moral standing, which is a criterion known as sentience (”Moral Agents and Moral Subjects,” 2). For instance, animals suffer when they are exposed to harsh conditions or mistreated in slaughterhouses. They can feel pain. Notably, sentience being the fundamental criterion for moral standing, means that animals suffer. Humans should avoid inflicting suffering on these creatures even if they are considered as properties. That is why many individuals should consider adopting vegan meals to reduce animal mistreatment.
Based on the cruelty-kindness perspective, people have a direct duty to handle animals with kindness and avoid being cruel (Regan 4). In that light, humans are expected to treat all animals with respect, meaning less suffering even for those bled to be slaughtered. This view is rooted in kindness. For example, a kind individual has compassion and acts in the best way possible when handling others. However, it is not guaranteed that the kind of action will be the right choice. People are displayed to be cruel if they do not have sympathy or enjoy when others are suffering (Regan 4). Similarly, those who enjoy mistreating animals in the name of slaughtering or meeting human demand for meat, eggs, or dairy are not being kind to these creatures. Since animals cannot make decisions and have to follow what individuals want, they are not in a position to determine where they want to be. Humans are the ones expected to handle animals well without being cruel to them simply because they consider these creatures to be their property. Utilitarianism can be used to bring balance between what is good and bad for animals. This moral principle states that everyone’s interests should be considered with the same importance or weight. Additionally, it encourages people to engage in acts that bring balance between frustration and satisfaction for all those influenced by the result (Regan 5). If people adhere to the utilitarian perspective, animal rights can be prioritized by reducing the suffering of these innocent creatures that are sometimes mistreated for the benefit of humans.
...