A philosophy outreach and education project
A journey through animal ethics and sentience
The 12 volumes by Luciano Carlos Cunha in full, with the source for every claim, plus lessons and tools to take your study further.
- 12 topics
- 186 texts
- 11 tools
Where to start
Four ways in
The essentials in an afternoon
Volume XII sums up the whole collection in objection-and-reply boxes.
Where do I start?
Four quick questions and a reading path tailored to you.
Debunking objections
The most common objections to respecting animals and how to answer them.
Tools
The speciesism test, the birth lottery, the veil of impartiality and more.
The topics
Browse the topics
Each topic is one volume of the collection. Pick a topic and the texts will be filtered by subject.
An Overview of the Debate on the Moral Consideration of Animals
There are three main positions on animals: they don't matter in themselves, they matter less than humans, or they…
Is Species What Matters?
Saying humans matter more “because they're human,” or “because they're our species,” justifies nothing: it just…
Could Metaphysical Characteristics Justify Speciesism?
An immortal soul, being made in the image of a deity, or other metaphysical traits don't justify speciesism: they…
Could the Possession of Capacities or Relationships Justify Speciesism?
Reason, language, a sense of justice, or political relationships don't justify disregarding animals: many humans…
Could Humans' Supposed Potential Justify Speciesism?
The appeal to potential fails because some humans have no potential to develop certain abilities, because potential…
Is What Matters Belonging to the Same Species as Those Who Have Certain Capacities?
Saying what matters is belonging to the same species as those who have certain abilities is biased: it demands the…
If Species Are Not a Social Construct, Is Speciesism Justified?
Even if species is a biological category and not a social construction, that doesn't make it fair to discriminate by…
If Speciesism Is Natural, Is Speciesism Justified?
From the fact that something is natural, common among animals, or instinctive, it doesn't follow that it's good or…
Does the Fact That Speciesist Practices Are Traditions Show That We Should Respect Them?
A practice being traditional doesn't show that it's fair: many traditions have been unjust, and defending traditions…
If Ethics Is a Human Activity, Is It Just to Disregard Animals?
That only humans act morally doesn't show that only humans should be considered: confusing who can be held…
If Ethics Is an Invention, Is It Just to Disadvantage Animals?
Even if ethics is a human invention, that doesn't make all positions equally arbitrary: math and science are also…
If Ethics Was Invented for Self-Protection, Is It Just to Disadvantage Animals?
Even if ethics arose as self-protection, describing how an activity arose doesn't justify a view within it; and the…
Attempts to Justify Speciesism That Appeal to Authorities
Appeals to authority, religious or otherwise, don't justify speciesism: by the Euthyphro dilemma, either the…
The Appeal to Differentiated Degrees of Moral Status
The special status thesis, according to which some have a “trump card” that gives them priority even when they…
Attempts to Justify Speciesism That Appeal to Metaethics
Saying “there's no right or wrong in ethics” doesn't justify speciesism: this metaethical claim usually shows up…
What Is Relevant to Knowing to Whom We Owe Consideration?
What matters in deciding whom we owe consideration is who can be harmed or benefited by our decisions; the capacity…
What Is the Argument from Species Overlap?
If the lack of certain abilities and relationships in some humans doesn't justify treating them worse, the same lack…
What Is Sentience and Why Does It Matter?
Sentience is the capacity to have positive and negative experiences; it's what makes someone a “someone” rather than…
Which Beings Are Sentient?
To find out which beings are sentient, we look at evidence: a centralized nervous system, other physiological…
Why Equal Consideration?
The principle of equal consideration says that harms and benefits of similar magnitude should have the same weight,…
Could Questions of Desert Justify Speciesism?
Desert can sometimes change priorities, but only for accountable agents who have broken some rule; since animals…
Is the Rejection of Speciesism Compatible with Only One View of Ethics?
Rejecting speciesism doesn't require signing on to a specific ethical theory, like utilitarianism: a wide range of…
If We Reject Speciesism, How Will We Decide Questions of Priority?
Giving equal consideration to all sentient beings doesn't leave us without guidance for setting priorities: there…
But Aren't Humans Capable of Suffering to a Greater Degree?
More complex cognition doesn't always mean suffering more: sometimes it increases suffering (anticipation),…
What Would We Decide Under Conditions of Impartiality?
A decision is fair if it's the one we would choose without knowing which position we'd occupy among those affected;…
Testing Whether an Attitude Is Speciesist
An attitude is speciesist if it's unfair to sentient beings because of their species; we can test it by asking…
How Much Importance Should We Give to the Situation of Animals?
Faced with “why worry about animals when so many humans need help?”, the chapter shows that, by severity, number of…
Uncertainty About Sentience and the Benefit of the Doubt
When we're uncertain whether a being is sentient, we should give it the benefit of the doubt: err on the side of…
What Does the Harm of Death Consist Of?
Against the Epicurean view that death is not a harm, the chapter argues that it harms by preventing the good things…
Discussing the Claim That Animals Are Not Harmed by Death
Animals are harmed by death even without understanding what it is and without desires about the future: every…
Objections to the Account of the Harm of Death as the Prevention of What Is Positive
The chapter examines three objections to the idea that death is a deprivation harm (the epistemological problem, the…
Are Those Incapable of Intellectual Pleasures Only Slightly Harmed by Death?
Saying that those without intellectual pleasures are only slightly harmed by death doesn't hold up: intellectual…
How Can We Assess How Much Someone Is Harmed by Death?
The size of the harm of death depends on how much lifetime the individual loses and on the quality of that time,…
Objections to Assessing the Magnitude of the Harm of Death on the Basis of QALYs
The objection that measuring the harm of death by QALYs has absurd implications appeals to intuitions that may be…
Do Animals Have Weaker Psychological Connectedness?
Even if psychological connectedness to the future mattered for the harm of death, simpler minds may have…
Discussing the Claim That Animals Are Replaceable
The idea that animals are replaceable, that is, that killing one isn't wrong if another with an equally good life is…
Are Nonhuman Animals Only Slightly Harmed by Death?
With examples like Bia's trip to the pyramids, the chapter shows that the strength of our reasons to pursue what's…
The Claim That Having Little Time Left Makes Death a Small Harm
Having little lifetime left, whether from old age or from belonging to a short-lived species, doesn't make death a…
What If Humans Were More Harmed by Death?
Even supposing humans were more harmed by death, that wouldn't justify killing animals for lesser benefits, or…
Differentiated Moral Status, the Harm of Death, and the Wrongness of Killing
The wrongness of killing and the reason to save lives should depend on the magnitude of the harm of death; the…
Further Reflections: Death, Annihilation, Rational Decision, and Probabilities
Considering the possibility of life after death doesn't radically change the assessment: there's uncertainty about…
How Do the Animals Exploited by Humans Live and Die?
Exploited animals, especially those used for food, live in confinement, suffer disease, mutilation, and transport,…
Why Is Animal Exploitation Unjust?
Animal exploitation is unjust because it violates the principle of equal consideration and fails the impartiality…
What Is Veganism?
Veganism is the position of avoiding harm to animals out of respect for them, refusing the products and services of…
What About Plants?
The plant objection fails: plants are alive, but without a centralized nervous system there's no evidence that…
The Objection That Consuming Animals Is Natural
In none of the senses of “natural” (possibility, instinct, what animals do, the food chain) does eating meat being…
The Claim That Consuming Animals Puts an End to Their Suffering
Saying that consuming animals frees them from lives of suffering is an excuse: in exploitation, consumption is what…
Is Raising Animals for Consumption Justified Because It Brings Them into Existence?
The “replaceability defense” says consuming animals benefits them by bringing them into existence; it doesn't apply…
Does It Matter What We Would Do on a Desert Island or in a Burning House?
What we would do on a desert island or in a burning house doesn't justify everyday consumption of animals: what we…
Is It Necessary to Consume Animal Products?
Consuming animal products isn't necessary for good health: nutrition bodies in several countries recognize that a…
Is Veganism Only for the Rich?
Veganism isn't just for the rich: the staple foods of a vegan diet (rice, beans, vegetables, fruit) are among the…
If the World Went Vegan, Would There Be an Excess of Domesticated Animals?
If the world went vegan, there wouldn't be a surplus of domesticated animals: they're born through forced breeding…
Would Veganism Ruin the Economy and Cost Jobs?
Saying veganism would ruin the economy and jobs fails ethically (profit doesn't justify harming victims) and…
But Does Veganism Really Have a Practical Impact?
Veganism has a practical impact: even without eliminating every contribution to exploitation, each person reduces…
But Doesn't Veganism Cause Even More Deaths Than Consuming Animals?
The claim that veganism kills more animals through agriculture has no evidence behind it and ignores that farmed…
Does Concern for Species Justify Consuming Animals?
The idea that eating animals preserves domesticated species assumes that species matter in themselves, that they…
The Claim That the Struggle for Animals Should Be Put Off Until Later
“Humans first, animals later” fails: each person makes a difference to the animals affected, there's no proof that…
Aren't Animals Already Protected by the Law?
Animal exploitation isn't the result of laws being broken: it's legal. Animals have the legal status of property,…
The Claim That Animal Advocates Are Imposing Their Lifestyle
Saying that animal protection laws would be “imposing a lifestyle” is self-refuting: it defends a right against…
The Exploitation of Insects and Why We Should Oppose It
There's growing evidence of sentience in insects, and their exploitation (for feed, food, silk, dye) already kills…
The Debate on Animal Experimentation
The arguments from necessity and effectiveness don't justify animal experimentation; giving more weight to humans…
Respect for animals and environmentalism: complementary or opposed?
Animal advocacy and environmentalism start from opposite foundations: one values the individuals who feel; the…
The divergence concerns ends, not only means
The difference between environmentalism and animal advocacy lies in the ends, not just the means: considering…
Despite their differences, do animal advocacy and environmentalism converge in practice?
Animal advocacy and environmentalism sometimes converge, but not always: the environment can be preserved in many…
The divergence does not lie in a focus on the short or the long term
The difference between the two positions isn't that one thinks short-term and the other long-term: concern for…
Do ecological balance and biodiversity coincide with what is best for animals?
Ecological balance (the stability of populations) and biodiversity (the variety of species) don't measure animals'…
Animal advocacy and environmentalism: the divergence is ethical, not scientific
The disagreement between animal advocacy and environmentalism is ethical, not scientific: ecology describes and…
Why is respect for animals confused with environmentalism?
Several factors explain the confusion between animal advocacy and environmentalism, such as the belief that both…
What do environmentalist extermination programs aim at?
Environmentalist programs to exterminate “invasive” species don't aim to reduce animals' suffering and deaths…
Is environmentalism anthropocentric?
Most environmentalists are anthropocentric, since they don't apply to humans what they apply to animals; a rare few,…
Questioning environmentalist assumptions
It hasn't been shown that non-sentient entities (species, ecosystems) have intrinsic value, let alone that they're…
Why are animal advocates reluctant to acknowledge the divergence?
Animal advocates are reluctant to acknowledge their disagreement with environmentalism for fear of opposing it and…
What is relevant for knowing to whom we owe consideration?
A criterion is justified only if it's based on a distinction relevant to the question at hand; to decide whom to…
Is the criterion of sentience anthropocentric at bottom?
The sentience criterion isn't anthropocentric: it doesn't consider animals because they resemble humans, but because…
Does the criterion of sentience discriminate against those who do not belong to the animal kingdom?
The sentience criterion isn't “kingdomism”: it doesn't include all animals (sponges probably don't feel) or exclude…
According to the criterion of sentience, is suffering the only problem?
The sentience criterion doesn't recognize only suffering as harm: a sentient being is also harmed by the absence of…
If sentience is what matters, why are there harms that do not affect experiences?
Harms that don't alter one's experiences, such as violating someone who is unconscious, may be an objection to…
Does the criterion of sentience exclude insects?
The sentience criterion doesn't exclude insects: there's evidence of sentience in several species, and the rest have…
Does accepting the criterion of sentience imply assuming that values are subjective?
Accepting the sentience criterion doesn't imply that values are subjective: there's a confusion between “subjective”…
Are animals with simpler brains less sentient?
There are no good reasons to say that animals with simpler brains are less sentient or deserve less: they're as much…
If there is a need for environmental ethics, is the criterion of sentience wrong?
The existence of an environmental ethics doesn't show that non-sentient entities have intrinsic value: we also need…
Isn't a World with Less Suffering, but Managed by Humans, Absurd?
The idea that a world with less suffering but managed by humans would be worse reveals a prejudice: an ecosystem…
If Sentient Beings Should Be Respected, Does Nature Have Intrinsic Value?
Respecting sentient beings doesn't imply that nature has intrinsic value: what makes sentient beings considerable…
Does the Sentience Criterion Imply Accepting Environmentalist Goals?
The fact that some sentient beings have an interest in nature taking its course doesn't imply accepting…
Do Species Have Interests?
Species don't have interests: they're abstract entities, categories created to group similar living beings; those…
If Some Nonsentient Entity Had Intrinsic Value, What Would Follow?
Even if non-sentient entities had intrinsic value, there would be strong reasons to prioritize sentient beings in…
Is Biocentrism Better Because It Includes a Greater Number of Beings?
A broader criterion isn't necessarily better: it would have to be shown that the beings included can actually be…
Sentience and Life: What Has Value as an End and What Has Value as a Means?
That being alive is necessary for being sentient doesn't give life intrinsic value; it's the other way around:…
Can Nonsentient Living Beings Be Harmed?
Non-sentient living beings don't seem capable of being harmed: everyday expressions like “the plant is happy” don't…
Does the Behavior of Certain Plants and Fungi Show That They Value Certain Things?
Behaviors of plants and fungi (growing toward light, closing leaves when touched) can be explained as…
Does Life Without Sentience Have Value?
Life without sentience doesn't seem to have value: examples like total irreversible coma, the fraudulent insurer,…
Does Every Living Being Have “Biological Interests”?
Non-sentient living beings don't have “biological interests” in the moral sense: in sentient beings, satisfying…
If Plants Are Morally Considerable, Does It Make No Difference Whether We Eat Animals or Plants?
If plants were morally considerable, it wouldn't follow that it makes no difference whether we eat animals or…
What Should We Do About Animals Living in the Wild?
If we really care about animals, we will not limit our concern to harms caused by humans: for the animal, it makes…
How Not to Understand the Issue
Saying that natural harms are not a matter of ethics because no one can hold nature responsible is a mistake: the…
How Do Natural Processes Typically Affect Wild Animals?
In nature, hunger, disease, parasites, cold, and predation are the rule; most species have enormous numbers of…
The View That It Is Not a Problem Because the Victims Are Nonhuman Animals
The idea that the suffering of wild animals matters only if it affects humans or environmentalist goals is…
Foundations of the Proposal to Help Victims of Natural Processes
Three arguments ground helping: the argument from the existence of reasons (harm is bad whatever its origin), the…
Is the Proposal to Help Wild Animals Arrogant?
The accusation of "playing God" does not hold up: we accept many interventions in nature to benefit humans or…
Is the Proposal to Help Wild Animals Anthropocentric?
The proposal to help wild animals is not anthropocentric: being proposed by humans does not make it human-centered;…
The Less Human Influence in the World, the Better?
"The less human influence, the better" does not hold up: if the reason is the good of animals, each case must be…
Is the Proposal to Help Wild Animals Welfarist?
Calling the proposal to help wild animals "welfarist" confuses concern for well-being with regulating exploitation;…
Does the Proposal to Help Wild Animals Violate Their Freedom?
Helping wild animals does not violate their freedom: it is the condition for them to exercise it, since they need to…
The Charge of Creating Dependency
The accusation that helping would create dependence does not apply to most interventions (which reduce births), does…
The Charge of Paternalism
Helping would only be paternalistic if animals preferred not to be helped when facing hunger, disease, or fire,…
The Objection That Suffering Has Instrumental Value
Suffering has instrumental value only when it helps the individual increase their well-being, which does not happen…
Does the Proposal to Help Animals See Humans as Separate from Nature?
It is the idea that humans should not intervene in nature that sees them as separate from it; if we are part of…
If Nature Is Not Evil, Is Natural Suffering Neutral?
Natural suffering is not neutral just because nature is not evil or responsible: what gives us reasons to prevent it…
If Nature Is Indifferent to the Suffering of Animals, Why Help Them?
Nature being indifferent to suffering does not justify our being indifferent: ecosystems are also indifferent to…
Does Respecting the Nature of Wild Animals Require Leaving Them to Fend for Themselves?
The idea that respecting each animal's "nature" requires leaving wild animals to fend for themselves fails the…
Isn't It Absurd to Intervene in Conflicts Between Animals?
Intervening in conflicts between animals is not absurd: we already intervene in predation on a large scale to…
Which Fields Should Answer What to Do About Wild Animals?
Describing ecosystems is the job of ecology; deciding which goals to pursue (the good of sentient beings or…
Must Environmentalists Oppose Helping Wild Animals?
In most cases, helping wild animals does not conflict with environmentalist goals, and some forms of help achieve…
Are We Morally Responsible Only for Human Practices?
We are not responsible only for harms caused by humans: moral responsibility falls on decisions that determine…
Attempts to Argue That Domesticated Animals Have Priority
The arguments for prioritizing domesticated animals (historical debt, degree of dependence) do not justify denying…
Would Helping Animals Prevent the Fittest Genes from Prevailing?
Refusing to help so that "the fittest genes prevail" should be rejected: genes that are efficient at being passed on…
Couldn't Helping Wild Animals Make Things Even Worse?
The fear of making things worse and the appeal to ecological balance do not justify not helping: if we cannot…
Objections That Question the Practicality of the Proposal to Help
Not being able to help everyone is no reason to help no one, and what matters is the actual amount of benefit, not…
What Is Already Being Done to Help Wild Animals?
Helping wild animals already happens: there is vaccination (for example, against rabies), treatment of diseases…
What Else Could Be Done to Help: Establishing Welfare Biology
Welfare biology would be an interdisciplinary field devoted to studying wild animals as sentient individuals, and…
What Technologies Could Be Used to Help Animals in the Wild?
Technologies such as individual identification of insects, population modeling, thermal imaging, drones, and data…
Do Animals Have a Right Not to Be Sterilized?
The objection that animals have a right not to be sterilized fails: there are other forms of help, respecting this…
The Issue of Parasitism
It is false that the proposal to prevent natural harms would forbid treating parasitism: nonsentient parasites are…
The Issue of Predation
The chapter examines the arguments about predation and concludes that there are good reasons to reduce it in the…
Discussing Our Ability to Assess When Life Is or Is Not Worth Living
Saying that we cannot judge when a life is worth living does not justify not intervening: there are clear cases…
The Prolonged Agony Argument
The "prolonging the agony" argument fails: helping usually reduces suffering and extends life at the same time,…
The Objection That the Balance of the Situation of Animals in the Wild May Be Positive
Even if the balance of life in nature were positive (the pleasure of a few outweighing the suffering of many), the…
What Impact Does Veganism Have on the Situation of Wild Animals?
Preventing natural harms does not mean rejecting veganism: veganism reduces the victims of exploitation and…
The Debate on the Destruction of Nature
The chapter simulates the debate, among advocates for wild animals themselves, about "altruistic killing"…
The Debate on the Expansion and Restoration of Nature
Expanding or restoring nature tends to increase the number of animals born to suffer; the justifications (future…
How to Choose Which Causes and Problems to Prioritize and Which Strategies Are Best?
To choose causes, problems, and strategies, we can use criteria: how serious the situation is (the number of victims…
How Does the Animal Cause Fare on the Priority Criteria?
By the criteria for prioritizing (seriousness, number of victims, neglect, and tractability), the animal cause does…
Among the Problems Affecting Animals, Which Are the Most Important?
Within the animal cause, the most neglected and serious problems are animals raised for food (especially aquatic…
The Use of Anthropocentric and Environmentalist Arguments in the Animal Cause
Using only anthropocentric or environmentalist arguments (health, the environment) to defend animals carries risks:…
The Total Approach and the Sufficient Approach
The total approach defends a complete ethical view; the sufficient approach shows that certain goals (such as…
Shifting the Focus in Debates: Why Is Speciesism Rarely Discussed?
In debates, people who defend practices that harm animals often shift the focus to health, the environment, or…
Moral Beliefs, Motivation to Act, and the Role of Ethical Reflection
The case of animal ethics experts who consume animals raises the question of moral motivation: perhaps they do not…
Normative Objections Disguised as Strategic Objections
Sometimes people who disagree with a goal (a normative objection) present their disagreement as a strategic doubt…
Focusing on Veganism versus Focusing on Reducing Consumption
The debate between focusing on veganism or on reducing consumption is, in general, about strategy and not about the…
Why the Term Welfarism Is Highly Ambiguous
"Welfarism" has at least seven meanings, which concern different debates; accepting or rejecting one of the…
The Debate on Regulating Animal Exploitation
The debate about regulating exploitation involves two causal questions: whether reforms lead to abolition and…
The Debate on Cultivated Meat
Cultivated meat could greatly reduce exploitation; the chapter examines objections from defenders of conventional…
Future Risks for Sentient Beings: An Introduction
S-risks are risks of future suffering on a scale greater than all the suffering that has ever existed; they differ…
Temporal Impartiality: What It Is and Why It Matters
Temporal impartiality means giving the same weight to a given suffering no matter when it happens; temporal bias and…
The Objection That Future Beings Are Merely Potential Beings
Even those who deny a duty to bring new beings into existence have duties toward future beings, such as not causing…
What Reasons Are There to Focus on the Long Term?
Longtermism can be a goal (having the best impact on all of history) or a practical focus (acting with the long term…
Should We Focus on Preventing S-Risks or X-Risks?
There are reasons to focus more on s-risks than on x-risks: attempts to justify focusing on x-risks because humanity…
Which Goals Should We Prioritize in the Long Term?
Among the possible long-term goals, there are reasons to give extra weight to preventing suffering (and premature…
What Does the Focus on S-Risks Consist Of?
Focusing on s-risks does not mean focusing on a few specific scenarios: future suffering may come from the sum of…
Identifying Risk Factors for S-Risks
Even without predicting the future in detail, we can identify risk factors for s-risks: advanced technology,…
Longtermist Strategies: Broad and Targeted
Broad strategies aim for a good impact in almost every scenario; targeted ones aim for a large impact in specific…
Why Focus on Consideration for Sentient Beings and on the Future?
How we will affect future beings is rarely discussed; promoting consideration for all sentient beings is central to…
Changing Public Debate, Forms of Activism, and Political Institutions
Dysfunctional politics increases s-risks; to improve it, we should reduce tribalism, raise the standard of debate…
Shaping Emerging Technologies to Prevent Future Suffering
Emerging technologies could multiply suffering: the chapter discusses shaping artificial intelligence with a focus…
The Influence Triad and Future Suffering
The influence triad (an agent's intention, knowledge, and power) helps us assess the suffering that may result from…
Biases That Lead Us to Neglect the Problems with the Most Victims
Biases are psychological tendencies that systematically lead to faulty reasoning; several of them (the identifiable…
Biases That Incline Us to Neglect the Situation of Wild Animals
Several biases lead us to neglect wild animals: status quo bias, a preference for certain kinds of animals, the…
Biases That Contribute to the Neglect of the Long Term and of S-Risks
Biases such as temporal bias, difficulty dealing with probabilities and expected value, and overconfidence in…
Cognitive Biases and Their Influence on Our Decisions That Affect Animals
Many biases make it hard to revise our beliefs and strategies about animals: status quo bias, system justification,…
Motivated Reasoning and Its Influence on the Evaluation of Arguments
Motivated reasoning means judging arguments with different levels of rigor depending on whether we like the…
Some Biases That Can Influence the Choice of Strategies and How the Public Receives Them
Activists are also affected by biases when choosing strategies (negativity, choice overload, nostalgia, order…
An Introduction to the Central Distinctions in Value Theory
Value theory investigates what is good or bad, better or worse; it distinguishes intrinsic value from instrumental…
An Introduction to Theories of Well-Being
Theories of well-being investigate what makes someone's life go well (experiences, preferences, objective goods, or…
Assessing How Good/Bad a Situation Containing Several Individuals Is
Evaluating a situation involving many individuals involves several aspects (total well-being, priority to the worse…
Value Judgments, Descriptions of Facts, Objectivity, and Subjectivity
Value judgments are not necessarily subjective in the sense of "having no truth": every being who suffers…
Categories of Normative Ethical Theories
Normative theories fall into consequentialism, deontology, and character-centered ethics, which differ in their…
To What Extent Do Ethical Theories Agree About What We Owe Animals?
Utilitarianism, maximin, prioritarianism, egalitarianism, sufficientarianism, their negative versions, pluralist…
Weighing Criteria
When a situation is good in one respect and bad in another, there are many ways to weigh the criteria:…
Introduction
Volume XII is a schematic guide to the other 11 volumes: each debate appears in tables of attempted justifications…
Attempts to Justify Disregarding Animals
The attempts to justify disregarding animals (species, soul, capacities, potential, group, biology, nature,…
The Case for Considering All Sentient Beings
The main arguments for considering all sentient beings are the argument from species overlap, the argument from…
The Debate on the Sentience Criterion
The sentience criterion faces many criticisms (utilitarianism, anthropocentrism, animal-kingdomism, harms without…
The Harm of Death and the Reasons Against Killing
The attempts to justify killing animals painlessly (they do not understand death, have no desires about the future,…
Differences Between Environmentalism and Consideration for Animals
Environmentalism and consideration for animals have different ultimate goals: one values certain configurations of…
The Situation of Wild Animals and the Proposal to Help Them
The proposal to help wild animals rests on the idea that the strength of our reasons depends on the magnitude of the…
The Debate on the Proposal to Help Wild Animals (Part 1)
The table answers the most common objections to helping wild animals: outside the scope of ethics, arrogance,…
The Debate on the Proposal to Help Wild Animals (Part 2)
The second set of objections to helping wild animals denies our responsibility or questions practicality; the table…
What Criteria Should We Use to Help Efficiently?
To help effectively, we use criteria: seriousness (the number of victims and how bad it is for each one),…
Which Problems Affect the Largest Numbers of Animals?
The 80 billion animals killed per year that activists cite are only mammals and birds, between 0.1% and 0.2% of the…
Key Concepts in the Debate on the Importance of the Future
Key concepts about the future: s-risks (astronomical suffering), how they differ from x-risks, seriousness as…
Identifying Risk Factors for S-Risks
As in medicine, we can identify risk factors for s-risks without predicting the future in detail: disregard for…
Longtermist Strategies: Broad and Targeted
Longtermist strategies can be broad (a good impact in almost every scenario, such as increasing consideration for…
Changing Public Debate and Political Institutions
Improving public debate and institutions is crucial for avoiding s-risks: thinking in nuances, discussing arguments…
Debates on Activism Strategies
The table summarizes strategic debates in activism: veganism or reduction, reform or abolition, indirect or direct…
Evaluating Different Strategies
To evaluate strategies, we can use metacriteria: tackling causes, preventing backsliding, how much it has already…
Conclusion
The volume closes the collection with an overview of the main questions in animal ethics, offering an introductory…
Debunking objections
Heard an argument and didn't know how to reply?
58 objections from the Volume XII boxes, in the author's own words, plus short replies for every chapter.