"Science is not just an intellectual game, carried on among a set of human players. It is a genuine attempt to explore the universe. Among the parts of that universe which are within our reach, the other animal species which share our planet with us are a most significant part. They are not just put there as a convenience for us, neither are they just an oppressed minority in human life. They are the group to which we belong. We are a small minority of them. It seems reasonable to suggest that we ought to take them seriously."
"Animals and Why They Matter" is a concise philosophical inquiry into animal rights. Midgley discusses past philosophical and scientific insights and draws connections between the kind of logical arguments that neglect the rights of nonhuman animals and those that in the past have led to the neglect of rights in human matters (e.g. racism and sexism). It is a natural phenomenon to have a stronger sense of compassion or ethical obligation to those with stronger associations to oneself, but to deny another being's rights based on individual kinship is not an ethically sound way to act. Although Midgley is concerned with this largely neglected topic, she does not take a stance that is absolutist on either end of the spectrum, whether it be as extreme as Descartes' argument that animals lack a soul and are therefore simply machines, or whether it be an activist's stance which allots nonhuman animals the same rights as humans. Instead, the topic is broached so that it can be addressed both rationally and humanely without disregarding emotional or anthropomorphic tendencies as irrelevant to the question of our ethical obligations as stewards.
Citation Information:
Midgley, M. (1984). Animals and why they matter. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.
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