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THE INCLUSION OF ANIMALS AS WORTHY OF EQUALITY IS BAD
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- B.F. Skinner
- SKINNER AND THE SCIENCE OF BEHAVIOR
THE INCLUSION OF ANIMALS AS WORTHY OF EQUALITY IS BAD1. GRANTING ANIMALS EQUALITY HARMS POLITICALLY DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE Lori Gruen, Professor of Philosophy at Stanford University, SINGER AND HIS CRITICS, 1999, p. 134-135. As Singer discusses the principle, it prohibits granting any weight to particular features of a situation...According to Singer, that some people have a different skin color, are from a different country, are of a different gender, or have different abilities than the person engaging in moral deliberation are not considerations that in themselves justify differential treatment. In most cases, such differences do not provide a rational basis for differences in our ethical considerations or treatment. For example, a theory which justifies the distribution of goods under which men receive greater benefits and thus have more of their preferences satisfied than women do, simply because they are men, is a theory that violates the principle of equal consideration of interests. According to this principle, all that is considered in deciding the morally correct course of action is the strength of the interests or preferences and the degree to which the interests and preferences of those affected will be thwarted or advanced....Just as Singer’s substantive impartiality condemns granting additional consideration to the interests or preferences of one’s racial or ethic group, so does it condemn granting additional consideration to the interests or preferences of humans over non-humans, simply because they are humans.
Robert C. Solomon, Quincy Lee Centennial and Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas, Austin, SINGER AND HIS CRITICS, 1999, p. 75. My argument, in a sentence, is that Singer, in his emphasis on reason (and consequently, on the role of normative ethical theory) underestimates the power of compassion. An adequate sense of ethics requires not only reason but concern and curiosity, a need to know about the state of the world and plight of people outside of one’s own limited domain. Reason, according to Singer, adds universal principles to the promptings of our biologically inherited feelings. The danger, however, is that reason will also leave those feelings behind, as evidenced by any number of philosophers who simply “talk a good game.” Thus, I want to argue that what allows the circle to expand is not reason (in the technical sense of calculation on the basis of abstract principles) but rather knowledge and understanding in the sense of coming to appreciate the situations and the circumstances in which other people and creatures find themselves. This requires what many theorists now call “empathy” or “feeling with” (which Hume and Adam Smith call “sympathy” and which might more accurately be called “fellow-feeling”), and it requires care and concern, the emotional sense that what happens to other matters.
Bob Corbett, Professor at Webster University, COMMENTS ON PETER SINGER'S ANALYSIS THAT LEADS TO SPECIESISM, 1999, p. np. Let me begin with the easiest one, my number three. Singer rightly points out that most of us are living examples of speciesism in the same sense that radical Ku Klux Klan's people are racist. However, on the other hand, most of us are familiar with anti-speciesist sentiments. Suppose one were all the things Singer attacks: a meat eater, unconcerned with the processes of producing meat for the table, a zoo goer, a pet owner and so on. Nonetheless, one might have an experience that is contrary to this position, and most people seem to. Suppose one were drinking a large glass of milk and had drunk one's fill. At the same time one noticed a small kitten, seemingly hungry and crying. Many people would be enough moved by the "interests" of the kitten to look for some container to pour the remaining milk into so the kitten might drink it. We would not be absolutely immune to the "interests" of the kitten, even though our lives as a whole might suggest we were speciesists of the worst sort. The point here is that many of us have some intuitions toward the interests of animals. They may not be dominant, and they might not be sentiments of equality, and they many not compete well with contrary interests toward humans. At the same time, we still often have some positive sentiments and intuitions toward the interests of animals. The notion that Singer will develop in ways that may well be strange and new to us, are not 100% novel. If we have a hard time grasping his view, perhaps returning to some of those personal sentiments or intuitions might be a good place to go.
BIOGRAPHY OF BURHUS FREDERIC SKINNERB.F. Skinner was born March 20, 1904, in the Pennsylvania town of Susquehanna. Skinner received his bachelors degree in English from Hamilton College in New York. After spending some time outside of school, Skinner decided to attend graduate school at Harvard University. It was there that he got his masters in psychology in 1930, and his doctorate in 1931. He continued to stay on at Harvard doing research until 1936. After leaving Harvard, Skinner attended the University of Minnesota to pursue teaching. Skinner married Yvvone Blue and they had two daughters, their second daughter attained notoriety as the first infant to be raised in a one of Skinner’s air cribs. In 1945, he went to Indiana University to chair their psychology department. In 1948, he went back to Harvard where he taught until he died of leukemia on August 18, 1990. Many say Skinner is the most important psychologist since Sigmund Freud. SKINNER AND THE SCIENCE OF BEHAVIORSkinner founded the theory of behaviorism. It's basic premise is that all human action and decisions are based on how your previous behaviors were reinforced. Many psychologists went on to work in the field of behaviorism, but Skinner was the first. His theory assumes that when a person commits an action, they either receive positive or negative feedback. The behavior is reinforced, and the person takes that into account the next time they make a decision. Skinner believed that his theories of behaviorism could be used to control the behavior of not just individuals, but all of society. He also felt they could be employed to create a better environment in which to live. Skinner is quite clear that his theories should be used to alter human behavior in order to create the perfect society. Skinner discussed this point of view in several of his published works including "Walden 2," which used positive reinforcements to create a utopian society. Thomas Szasz, a psychologist who believes that there is no such thing as mental illness, wrote a review heavily critical of Skinner's behaviorism for robbing individuals of the ability to make their own decisions. Since Skinner argues that every decision individuals make is a product of their behavior, it is their behavior which causes them to act instead of their own volition. Many are uncomfortable with this explanation of behavior, since it not only robs individuals of agency but seemingly of responsibility. However, Skinner would argue that it is unwise and impractical not to consider the way our past decisions effect our future decisions. Every decision made is training for future decisions. A person naturally takes in information on the way others react to their decisions. Positive reinforcers are good things that take place as a result of your decision. For instance, if you decide to show up to work on time, positive reinforcers would include accolades from your boss, an available parking spot, and getting more work done. Negative reinforcers are bad things that take place as a result of the decision a person makes. For instance, if you decide to show up late to work, negative reinforcers would include being scolded by your boss, getting fired, and losing money. Directory: uploads uploads -> 587 Return function, r i(X) r i(0) r i(1) r i(2) r i(3) 1 0 2 4 6 Thermal Station, I 2 0 1 5 6 3 0 3 5 6 10 uploads -> Department of science and humanities department of mathematics part-a questions and answers uploads -> The Case Against the nypd’s Quota-Driven ‘Broken Windows’ Policing What Is It? uploads -> For want of a nail uploads -> Ownership Models There are two different types of ownership models uploads -> Police Militarization uploads -> City of rising star regular meting thursday, july 14, 2016 uploads -> Township of winfield uploads -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014 uploads -> The Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program What We Want Now! Download 5.81 Mb. Share with your friends:
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