View on ' animals are better than humans. ' based on intelligence
Answers
Answer:
One of the cornerstone ideas of the animal rights movement is that there are no fundamental differences between humans and animals: humans are just animals, only more intelligent (Ryder, 1991). Therefore, some argue, since having a larger brain is just another quirk, like having larger tusks, animals should have many of the same rights as humans. In particular, they should have a right to life, a right to freedom and a right not be used by humans. Moreover, the well-being of humans should not be put above the well-being of animals (Singer, 1991), so that doing research on animals cannot be justified by improvements in human health, as scientists claim (Ringach, 2011; Bennett and Ringach, 2016). Of course, all of this flies in the face of the values of all human societies from prehistory to date, which have used animals for food, clothing, work and entertainment. No matter, says the animal right activist, that is unethical and has to stop (Reagan, 1985).
In the past, justification for human primacy over animals came from religions that stated that humans are superior to animals because they have an immortal soul, and that God commanded humans to rule over animals. However, the Theory of Evolution and modern physiology have pushed back against those beliefs, showing that there is an evolutionary continuum between animals and humans and that there are no fundamental differences between the physiology of the humans and other mammals (Rachels, 1990) . If the only difference between humans and animals is that of a higher intelligence, does that justify that we treat ourselves better than the animals? Or is this just self-interested behavior, “speciesism”, as the animal rights proponent Richard Ryder has called it (Ryder, 1991)? To strengthen their case, animal right proponents invoke the “marginal case”: these include infants and those with significant mental impairment who, lacking superior intelligence, then should presumably be treated the same way as animals (Reagan, 1985; Singer, 1991). Otherwise, they argue, we should be prepared to give animals the same rights that we readily give these marginal case humans.
However, modern neuroscience has in fact uncovered many differences between humans and the rest of the animals that makes us unique. These differences are not limited to a quantitative difference in intelligence but extend to many other mental and behavioral abilities that make us completely unique (Penn et al., 2008), a qualitatively different type of being. Below I provide a list of the most important of those abilities.
Here are 10 reasons why animals are better than people
1.
They don't give non-committal responses about spending time with you
2.
You can serve them the same meal every day and they are always excited about it
3.
Animals are not greedy like humans nor they wants too much things.
4.
Unlike small humans, animals can be left on their own while you're out and it won't get you arrested
5.
Animals are peaceful company; they don't talk incessantly, offer unwanted advice or even worse; have a really annoying laugh.
6.
They don't suddenly have to send a text or take a call while you're out together
7.
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertise with NZME.
Dogs are incredibly loyal to their people and stand by them no matter what
8.
People can be cruel and callous towards animals and selfishly destroy their habitat. Wild animals will generally leave people alone.
9.
You don't have to go through a lengthy pregnancy to expand your family
10.
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertise with NZME.
Dogs give the best 'welcome home' ever
I'm not alone in rating animals over humans - especially when it comes to showing compassion. A 2013 study by Northeastern University suggested people felt more empathy towards a hurt dog or puppy than for an adult human.