Since humans are not the only living beings on this planet, why don’t we treat our fellow members of the animal kingdom with the respect we treat ourselves with? The Ethical Humanist Society of Rochester examines this question and more about animal rights by discussing Lawrence Wright’s piece in The New Yorker titled “The Elephant in the Courtroom.” Wright’s article asks us to consider whether elephants, and at least some other animals, may have inherent rights that should govern our actions toward them. At our meeting, we’ll have both small group and full group discussions of the ethical (rather than legal) questions provoked by the article. We offer a few possible questions here:

(1) Do you agree with the basic idea that animals have rights that you are ethically bound to respect? What is the basis for your opinion?

(2) If animals do have rights, how far do these rights extend? For example, is it ethically permissible to use animals for food, to hold them in captivity in zoos or as household pets, or to subject them to scientific experimentation?

(3) If animals do have rights, do they all have the same rights? If not, what is the basis for drawing distinctions?

(4) Is “animal welfare,” as some have suggested, a better concept than “animal rights” to guide our actions toward the animal world?

(5) To what extent do you presently put your views about the rights or welfare of animals into practice in your daily life? Are there tensions or contradictions between your beliefs and your actions on these matters? If so, what might you do to deal with them?

To make the small group meetings work, it will be best if all participants are on separate devices.

Please RSVP by using this link.

Zoom Info

Join by computer, tablet, or smartphone: https://bit.ly/3zXjzQ9

Join by phone: Meeting ID: 829 8879 9277