Wild and domesticated animals

Module 6: Wild animals

1. We have mostly focused on domesticated animals: pigs, chickens, cows, turkeys, mice, rats, guinea pigs, cats, dogs, etc.
2. Wild animals -- not domesticated -- independent -- living in their own way -- in forests, oceans, etc.
3. Let's set aside the liminal animals (D&K)

Our questions

1. How are they doing out there? Do they live good lives?
2. What should we do for wild animals? Should we just leave them alone?
3. Is it ok to hunt them?
4. Is it ok to capture them and put them in zoos?

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What should we do for wild animals?

INTERNAL/CAPACITY VIEW

• four cats have the same interests
• we have the same obligations
• example: Singer

CONTEXT VIEW

• four casts have the same interests
• BUT the contexts are different
• context makes a difference
• A, B, C: we have obligations to help
• D: no obligation to help
• example: Palmer, D&K

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The context view....

Dog you have adopted, tethered outside in winter
Type A: you should help

Cold mute swans on Lake Ontario
Type D: no obligation to help

Hungry white-tailed deer in winter
Type D: no obligation to help

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Suppose you favor the context view.  What do you think?

1. In type D situations, it's not obligatory to help, but not wrong
2. In type D situations, it's wrong to help -- anti-interventionist

wildebeest crossing the Mara river in Tanzania
Would it be wrong to build a bridge?

Leopard infanticide in the Okavanga Delta, Botswana

1. Xudum is the mother
2. Musweu is the male intruder
3. Film-makers are Brad and Tristan

Would be wrong of them to scare the intruder away?

Anti-interventionist ideas

• wildness is inherently good
• whatever is natural is good
• other species are like sovereign nations--their ways are owed respect (D&K)