Ethics

Shriver on "Knocking Out Pain in Livestock"

By Adam Kolber

Adam Shriver will be guest blogging here in December.  In the meantime, check out his article (which has been discussed in popular media all over the place) in the newest issue of Neuroethics:

Knocking Out Pain in Livestock: Can Technology Succeed Where Morality has Stalled?

Abstract:  Though the vegetarian movement sparked by Peter Singer?s book Animal Liberation has achieved some success, there is more animal suffering caused today due to factory farming than there was when the book was originally written. In this paper, I argue that there may be a technological solution to the problem of animal suffering in intensive factory farming operations. In particular, I suggest that recent research indicates that we may be very close to, if not already at, the point where we can genetically engineer factory-farmed livestock with a reduced or completely eliminated capacity to suffer. In as much as animal suffering is the principal concern that motivates the animal welfare movement, this development should be of central interest to its adherents. Moreover, I will argue that all people concerned with animal welfare should agree that we ought to replace the animals currently used in factory farming with animals whose ability to suffer is diminished if we are able to do so.

Full post as published by Neuroethics and Law on November 11, 2009 (boomark / email).