11.01.2024

Debate 4: Is humane farming good for animals?

Fair presentations Monday--read all instructions! 

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DEBATE: "Humane farming is good for animals, on the whole" (agree or disagree)-- clarification

  1. This is not just saying humane farming is better than factory farming
  2.  It's saying humane farming is positively good for animals--as Zangwill says
  3. We're doing animals a favor by creating-then-killing-and-eating them on humane farms
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Humane farming is good for animals (AGREE): ideas, allies
  1. Zangwill's existence argument-- slides
    • being created is good for sheep, outweighs being killed
    • sheep don't have rights, so it's against their interests to be killed but not a rights violation
  2. "no rights" ally: Carruthers
  3. non-animalist concern: bible, Aristotle
  4. animals have only a weak interest in continuing to live: McMahan
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Humane farming is good for animals (DISAGREE/DOUBT): ideas, allies
  1. Animals do have rights -- Regan
  2. Livestock killed very young, when they have a stronger TRICL (McMahan)
  3. Even humane farming involves some pain and distress
  4. Humane farming takes a lot of land, encroaches on wild animal habitats, resulting in fewer wild animals; so, good for sheep, bad for wolves and lions!
    • What would Zangwill say?  p. 5-6: it's good to replace wild animals with livestock because wild animals have more miserable lives.
    • Vegan world: would require less agriculture land and leave more wilderness, more wild animals (see Singer p. 184)