How Do the Various Ethical Theories Approach the Animal Question?

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A 50-minute lesson

1. 5 min
   Opening. Ask the question and let the class answer without correcting them: Think of something that is good for you in one respect and bad in another. All things considered, is it worth it?
2. 15 min
   Reading. An Introduction to the Central Distinctions in Value Theory (20 min read) and An Introduction to Theories of Well-Being (26 min read). For younger classes, read the “For kids” layer: Going to the dentist hurts, and that is bad. But it gets rid of your toothache, and that is good. Something can be good in one way and bad in another. Thinking about value means learning to separate those parts and then put it all together at the end.
3. 15 min
   Discussion.

   • Think of something that is good for you in one respect and bad in another. All things considered, is it worth it? (An Introduction to the Central Distinctions in Value Theory)
   • What do you think makes someone's life go well? Does that apply to an animal too? (An Introduction to Theories of Well-Being)
   • In your view, what matters more: increasing total well-being or helping those who are worst off? (Assessing How Good/Bad a Situation Containing Several Individuals Is)
   • What are you more certain of: that pain is bad, or some scientific fact you have never checked yourself? (Value Judgments, Descriptions of Facts, Objectivity, and Subjectivity)
4. 10 min
   Activity. Project the Theory Calculator tool for the class. Sum, average, maximin, priority, equality, sufficiency: see what each theory chooses. Ask each group to justify its choices.
5. 5 min
   Wrap-up. Each person writes one sentence about what changed in their thinking. Compare it with the volume summary: Utilitarianism, prioritarianism, egalitarianism, Kantianism, contractualism, virtue ethics, ethics of care: what does each theory say about animals? This volume introduces value theory and theories of well-being, and shows that, even though they disagree on foundations, the main theories imply equal consideration.

Exercise sheet

1. In the dentist example, the painful procedure is...

   1. bad in one respect and good all things considered
   2. only bad
   3. only good

2. Theories of value and theories of right action investigate...

   1. the same questions
   2. different questions: what is good and what we ought to do
   3. only economics

3. What is a pluralist theory of well-being?

   1. One that counts more than one aspect as good in itself for individuals
   2. One that counts only pleasure
   3. One that counts nothing

4. According to the chapter, what is the minimal convergence among the theories?

   1. That animals are seriously harmed in the situations they are in
   2. That animals are doing fine
   3. That nothing can be said

5. Which of these is an aspect in evaluating a situation involving many individuals?

   1. Priority to the worse off
   2. The individuals' color
   3. Their size

6. Treating individuals as they deserve can be seen as...

   1. good in itself or good only instrumentally
   2. always bad
   3. irrelevant

7. The example of aliens who have only ever had neutral experiences is meant to show...

   1. that the value of suffering and pleasure can only be understood by experiencing them
   2. that aliens exist
   3. that everything is neutral

8. Does recognizing that suffering is bad in itself force us to conclude what we ought to do?

   1. Yes, always
   2. No: value and ethics (reasons for action) are different domains
   3. Only for animals

9. What is the focal point of deontology?

   1. Consequences
   2. Rules
   3. Character traits

10. According to Kagan, what is the factoral level?

    1. What to do in practice: which factors are relevant to the decision
    2. Why something matters
    3. The history of ethics

The lesson plan and exercises are a study layer written for this site. The texts read are by Luciano Carlos Cunha.