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Is equal moral consideration really compatible with unequal moral status?

John Rossi1

  • 1Food and Drug Administration, Office of Pediatric Therapeutics, Silver Spring, MD, USA.

Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal
|December 8, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study argues that equal moral consideration for all beings is incompatible with unequal moral status. This challenges theories that grant humans greater moral standing, requiring justification for unequal consideration in animal ethics.

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Area of Science:

  • Animal Ethics
  • Moral Philosophy

Background:

  • The concept of moral considerability, determining the moral importance of a being's interests, is central to animal ethics.
  • Some theorists propose that a principle of "equal moral consideration" can coexist with "unequal moral status."
  • This approach aims to balance egalitarian principles with potentially greater obligations towards humans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically examine the compatibility of equal moral consideration and unequal moral status.
  • To challenge existing theoretical frameworks in animal ethics that permit differential moral treatment.
  • To reframe the debate, necessitating arguments for unequal consideration when justifying differing moral protections.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical argumentation and conceptual analysis.
  • Critique of prominent theories in animal ethics, specifically those of David DeGrazia.
  • Logical deconstruction of the relationship between consideration and status.

Main Results:

  • The article contends that equal moral consideration is fundamentally incompatible with unequal moral status.
  • It demonstrates that accepting unequal moral status necessitates arguing for unequal moral consideration.
  • This finding challenges the reconciliation of egalitarianism with species-based moral hierarchies.

Conclusions:

  • The compatibility of equal moral consideration and unequal moral status is untenable.
  • Justifying differential moral protections for humans and animals requires advocating for unequal consideration.
  • This reframes the ethical debate, emphasizing the need for direct arguments regarding the degree of consideration owed.