What Moral Or Ethical Obligations Do Humans Have In Respect Of Other Animal? (Essay Sample)

What moral or ethical obligations do humans have in respect of other animal?
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Introduction
Moral obligations are the courses of action to which an individual is bound to by the principles of right and wrong behavior. Human beings are the most powerful species on earth since they have the ability to think, reason and communicate effectively. For this reason, therefore they can influence the behavior of other species, and so are responsible for the wellbeing of their fellow creatures (BBC, 2014). Human beings are also the creatures with a well-developed brain and high intelligence quotient levels. For this reason, God has placed the responsibility of caring for all the organisms in the world. Human beings are supposed to rehabilitate, create, and build new and expand existing habitats for all living organisms especially animals. This is aimed at ensuring that indigenous and exotic flora and fauna do not face extinction. It is also important to understand that animals provide human beings with a lot of advantages such as sources of food, labor, transport and employment in the field of agriculture. These are just some of the few reasons why a human being is under obligation to take care of animals. All creatures deserve moral considerations; a morally considerable being is one that can be wronged in a morally relevant sense and it is only humans that can respond to claims of being wronged in one way or another, in the purposeful harm done on animals by human beings is morally wrong, this is because: first of all, animals possess some intrinsic sense of right, secondly, it causes pain to the creature and thirdly, it brings about effects on the nature of our moral sensibilities as ethical agents (Carbone, 2004).
Moral and Ethical Obligations Humans Have in Respect to Animals
It is important to understand that animals have feelings. Besides this, they require an ample environment to grow and develop if we humans have to continue enjoying the benefits that animals provide. Have you ever wondered why there is usually a lot of public outrage when reports are made about people suing other people for violation of any human rights? It is because these people do not have strong moral ethics for animals. There is that group of humans that deny animal’s moral status or equal consideration because they lack reasons, autonomy and consciousness about animals. There is another group of human beings who provide the right consideration to animals but fail to provide it fully due to the inability to respect another agent’s to provide the reciprocal love for that animal. To a further extent, there is a group of individuals who believe that equal consideration of ethical and moral considerations must be accorded to animals by the virtue of their physiological and mental capacities. An example is how the police accord love and respect for their dogs that they are even regarded as part of the family unit of the police.
Our relationship with animals has existed since the time of our ancestors, this relationship is maintained by the obligations the two groups have towards each other, and human beings carry the intelligence and thus can decide on what to do to the non-human animals.
The Animal Rights movement is a social movement aimed at bringing to an end the moral distinctions that exist between human and non-human animals; it seeks to abolish the use of animals in research, food, clothing, and entertainment industries (Noel Stewart, 2009). This movement is one of the few social movements that was created and sustained by philosophers, for example, Peter Singer and Tom Reagan (Singer, 2007). The movement was founded in the UK in the 1970s by a number of Oxford post-graduate students, now called “Oxford-Group” led by Roslind and Stanley Godlovitch (SINGER, 1985). The movement can be split into: animal rights advocates who believe that their basic interests are in line with the moral rights of animals, the Utilitarian liberationists argue that the suffering of animals should be incorporated into any moral philosophy to exclude the animals is discrimination termed as Speciesism (Ryder, 2006).
This has led many countries to develop laws that are aimed at protecting the rights of animals. Countries like Kenya, Africa, have developed slogans that are aimed at protecting some of their heavily worked animals like the donkey. Moreover, this country has set aside a special celebration day for the donkeys. During this day the animals are left to graze the whole day and are not engaged in any duties. Some of the communities that heavily rely on this animal for duties respect this day and even organize celebrations and parties just to honor this animal. This practice has caught the governments attention that it has been forced to make strict laws that aims at protecting the donkeys in Kenya.
Moral obligations are both social and individual, certain practices or institutions usually have an effect on the potential ethical view within an individual (Noel Stewart, 2009). In light of this, criteria for judgment used should take into consideration the manner in which certain acts, practices and institutions have the effect of influencing or distorting ethical life in a society (Garner, 2005). It is not morally right to exploit animals. Exploitation mainly takes place through overworking the animals by burdening them, constant hunting game for meat, killing them to obtain fur for making clothes and ivory or skins, using these animals for laboratory experiments that cause pain, not feeding the animals, and environmental pollution. Therefore we should treat non-human animals in the proper and ethical way (Klempner, 2002). Throughout the world there are rules that are aimed at protecting not only the animals but their habitats as well. For this reason, human beings are under obligation to set aside parks, zoos, and wildlife conservation areas in order to provide favorable environment for growth and development of all the animals in the world.
Animal right activists and institutions have come together to curb the danger exposed to animals, this topic is important as it emphasizes on the ethical obligations we as human beings have towards animals. The increase in demand for animal products and scientific experiments has brought with it an increase in animal exploitation. This has considerably degraded the morals of the society and its members. (Kheel, 2008). It is no wonder the reason why the white rhinos are now the most endangered species of animals in the world. Reliable sources of data according to Ol Pajeta Conservancy in Kenya, there are only four remaining species of white rhinos and they are in Kenya. These animals are the most pampered animals but despite this, there have been concerns as these animals have failed to reproduce despite seen mating over two years ago.
Animal exploitation has become more pervasive unlike the recent years, the abuse and suffering of non-human animals also lowers human ethical capacities and sensibilities. When we live in a society that allows and enjoys the benefits of animal suffering, then we are degrading the ethical sensibilities of an individual member (Patton, 2006). Many countries especially in Africa have been forced to set strict laws against poachers who hunt and kill animals for ivory which are in high demand in Middle East countries. Countries like Kenya have been forced to burn ivory in order to demonstrate war on poachers. Recently China was forced to do the same as a sign of partnership in curbing this unethical practice on our animals.
Some communities and religions have been known to pay respect to some animals as they act as important symbols to their religion. For this reason, these communities and religions provide and show moral obligations for different types of animals they consider special. This is one of the reasons which can be used to help improve moral obligations for animals in the world.
Most of the animals serve as tools for sports and recreational. The horses are well known for playing polo as well as for racing. Horse racing is one of the most important sports in the western countries. For this reason, a lot of moral obligation is being provided to this animals and this helps in creating a good rapport between the animals and human beings.
Oxen, donkeys, and camels have been one of the widely used animals as good sources of labor and transport. Because of the ability of the donkey to work extra-long hours without fatigue, most of the scientists have developed interest in developing even more resistant species of this animal. This is in turn increasing their population is morally upright. On the other hand the camels have also demonstrated a good ability to survive through the desert in Africa and Asia and through the winter in Western countries. For this reason, a lot of concern has been developed for these animals as a way of showing concern and human obligation to these resourceful animals.
Countries like Kenya and Most African countries enjoy a lot of foreign exchange in terms of tourism. Every year, Kenya hosts thousands of tourists from all over the world who converge at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve to watch the eighth wonder of the world. During this time, thousands of wildebeest cross river Mara from Serengeti in Tanzania into Kenya in search of pasture and food. For this reason, t...