AGENDA
- D&K on wild animal sovereigns and liminal animal denizens
- Midterm review post is here (including midterm questions) – we'll review next Wednesday – Midterm is next Friday
THE BIG PICTURE
All humans/All animals
- intrinsic moral standing, moral rights (they agree with Tom Regan)
- no killing for food, clothing, research etc.
- Far fewer farm animals
ANIMAL CITIZENS
- Domesticated animals (pets, farm animals) are citizens (we discussed why last time)
- But they are not saying animal citizens should have exactly the same rights
- voting NO
- access to public space YES
- K-12 education NO
- socialization YES
- government takes into account their interests YES
- public spending YES
WILD SOVEREIGNS
- Wild animals – don't exist because of us, don't need us
- Not quite like foreigners beyond our borders – species have overlapping habitats – some wild sovereigns are inside the US
- Wild sovereigns have the basic rights all animals have – so no hunting, trapping
- NOT citizens
- no right to be rescued after a disaster
- no right to be in our public spaces (polar bear jail in Churchill, Canada)
- no right to be socialized
- Respect their sovereignty
- avoid invading habitat
- when you do take away habitat, create wildlife corridors
- don't meddle excessively, even in case of fires, famine, etc.
- one-off assistance ok
- assistance ok when problem is human-caused: sea turtle rescue
- wildlife management in National Parks--doesn't respect sovereignty
- might be different in an extreme case--asteroid
LIMINAL ANIMAL DENIZENS
- Liminal animal denizens
- they "gravitate and towards, and often thrive in, human settlement" (p. 12)
- "sparrows and mallard ducks, squirrels and mice, badgers and rabbits, and countless others" (p. 12). Rats, mice, raccoons, etc.
- Human liminal denizens
- liminal = on the margins; denizens = regular inhabitants
- from outside borders: foreign tourists and students, refugees, immigrants, resident aliens
- inside borders: e.g. Amish (live by somewhat different laws)
- Two principles that apply (p. 14)
- Principle #1: legit to have borders and laws about who enters; also legit to discourage entry
- Principle #2: "sooner or later they acquire the right to stay" (p. 14)
- Liminal human denizens --> liminal animal denizens
- Principle #1: we can try to keep them out
- Principle #2: "we need to regularize their status, and to accept and accommodate to their presence" (p. 14)
- Example: squirrels digging up our grass
- They are liminal animal denizens, not citizens or wild sovereigns
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
- Utopian: very good, but not realistic
- Edifying model: we should strive for this
- Semi-edifying semi-model: we should strive for some of this
- Dystopian: really bad, a model of what to avoid