To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school…it is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically. – Henry David Thoreau
Monday, October 26, 2015
Do we ever care about animals‘ feeling？
Before reading the article “Industrial farming is one of the worst crimes in history” by Yuval Noah Harari, I did not notice that farming, the basic support of human’s daily life, contains deep ethical dimensions. In the article, the author indicates that humans started to rule over animals from 45,000 years ago, and 90% of the large terrestrial mammals extinct. Later on, when the agricultural revolution starts, people begin to catch animals and let them become domesticated. Those domesticated animals are fed to meet human’s demand; they live in the crowded shelter and wait for the time to be killed and become food on table. That’s their destiny, and animals are suffering. Moreover, since the population of human beings grows up so quickly, the supplies are not enough. Therefore, scientists develop some medicines to ensuring animals’ survival and reproduction, which keep those domesticated animals live in the cycle of suffering. The root of the problem is that domesticated animals have inherited from their wild ancestors many physical, emotional and social needs that are redundant in farms. The author also brings up the idea that industrial farming “contradict the most basic principles of Darwinian evolution”, that “all instincts and drives have evolved in the interest of survival and reproduction”. When I first time try to make a connection between ethical dimension and animals while after listen the audio about hunting in class, I made the conclusion that “every wild animal should be conserved by human — they have their own life, like human, which should not be effect by the human beings”. This statement completely excludes the domesticated animals, since I believed that “those animals' life is connecting with human beings, they cannot feed themselves unless human feed them”. However, after reading this article, my opinion changes. Every creature in the world has a complex world of sensation and emotion, but those domesticated animals live and die on an industrial production line. There is no way for them to get out of this cycle of suffer due to the huge demand from human beings. While we living in the sensitive world that being sensitive to everything, do we ever care about animals’ feeling? The industrial farming is the worst crimes in history.
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I really like your last sentence, saying that the industrial farming is the worst crime in history because they are here to satisfy the high demand from human beings. I also like when you said they animal are just like human, they have their own life, and they souldn't be effected by human beings. However, on earth there are always be groups of people or animals that are here on earth to suffer another way to express this is that they are here for another group of people or animals. Like the food chain. This is how your ecosystem work.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very serious topic. I can never imagine the destiny of the animals in industrial farm - how they've been treated and finally been killed. The idea that human used such inhuman methods to put these animals in unbearable suffering and torture is totally wrong. In addition, what human should do is minimizing suffering and be thankful for the animals.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. The justification people tend to use when abusing animals is not reasonable at all. All creatures have their souls and minds. As members of the community on Earth, humans should follow the rules of nature and respect other organisms. It is not right to think that we human beings are superior to animals.
ReplyDeleteMoment, I think you've raised a crucial topic that doesn't get nearly enough media attention. I think if most people were aware of the animal cruelty that goes into industrial farming then many would consider become vegetarian. Are you a vegetarian? If not, after reading the article, did it compel you to think about becoming one?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what you mention in your essay. Human being always regard themselves as the superior creature in the world. People seems like the dominator of the world. I totally agrees human beings are very unique creature, but the other animals also have their minds, although they don't have language ability. They have rights to live in the earth freely. People, as the capable creatures in the world, should more care about the weak instead of threatening their happiness and daily lives.
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