More Ethics!

Ethics expanded (from New Year, New Me?)

The Contractarian View is focused on the concept that our ethical obligations originate in the mutual agreements (or contracts) we have with others. Mutual cooperation is in everyone's best interests, and it through our cooperation that agreements/contracts are born. Thus, bringing ethical obligation into being. Non-human animals, however, cannot enter into contractual arrangements, and therefore, we have no ethical duties towards them. 

However, we may have an indirect ethical obligation towards animals because of their significance to other humans. For example, we should be concerned with animal welfare because it is important to consumers, and we want them to buy our products. 
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The Utilitarian View, as aforementioned, concerns itself with the maximising human and animal well-being - the greatest good for the greatest number. A utilitarian will not only consider what is right and wrong, but also consider better and worse. All sentient being have interests, and therefore, humans and non-humans deserve equal consideration. For example, raising and milking dairy cows may be justified if the farming conditions aren't detrimental to the animals welfare, as doing so provides a benefit to humans. 

A drawback to utilitarianism is that because it concerns itself with costs and benefits, it doesn't typically take an individual's interests into consideration. The interests of the herd trump the interest of the individual. 
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The Animal Rights View are grounded on the foundation that it is unacceptable to treat a sentient being as a means to achieve a goal. No benefit can justify the violation of an animal's rights and dignity. There are three increasingly strong senses of 'Animal Rights':

1) The Moral-Status Sense - Animals have at least some moral status. Animals do not exist soley for human use, as such, they should be treated well for their own sake. 

2) The Equal-Consideration Sense - The interests of humans and animals must be given equal weight from a moral persepective. Animal suffering matters as much as human suffering. 

3) The Utility-trumping Sense - Animals have certain vital interests (ex. dignity) that we must not override, even in an effort to maximise benefit for society. 

The challenge with the animal rights view is that the interests of individuals or groups are often opposing or mutually exclusive. What may benefit one group, could be detrimental to another. 
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The Relational View is based on the concept that our morality grows out of our relationship with animals. Our relationship with them defines our duties towards them. For example, we have special duties towards domestic animals because they are in our care, although generally speaking, we do not have duties to wild animals. 
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The Repsect for Nature View upholds that we have a duty to not only protect individual animals, but the species in which they belong. This view emphasizes preserving species, genetic integrity (as nature intends), ecosytems, and other collective entities. The preservation of a species is in itself morally good, and therefore, we should respect nature and its rich genetic structures. 

New Year, New Me?

"New Year, New Me" - Well.... if that was true this post would have been up two months ago, but my procrastination skills from my undergraduate days have returned, and this time with a vengeance.

Zipping back to Canada over the holidays was a nice break from my Scottish reality, but to say it was completely relaxing would put my sanity into question. I was back on the family dairy farm after all. 

Term Two is Glasgow started abruptly with Animal Ethics our first week back. After weeks of having relatively idle academic thought, we were confronted with our morality in a matter of minutes. Not only did the ethics course challenge the people we were sitting around the conference table in the Graham Kerr Library, it also made us intimately aware of the people we used to be, and the life experience that inevitably led to our ethical growth. 

I've put together the crashiest of crash courses for everyone's ethical undertaking. It's hard to know exactly where to begin with concern to animal ethics because, historically, the value that man placed on animals was typically a reflection of that animal's monetary worth. The attitudes towards animals and their treatment evolved over time, beginning with a politcal foundation (establishing animals as property), and continued as mans' understanding of the natural world increased with the help of science. 

By the late 18th Century, "The Age of Enlightenment" saw the development of ideas and scientific theory based on reason, and a gradual movement towards the notion of animals as sentient beings that had a capacity for pleasure and for pain - the notion that animals could feel. Two moral philosophies emerged at this time, the first being the rights movements  (eg. French Revolution; American Independence), and the second was the development of Utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham, who is considered the founder of modern utilitarianism, based utilitarianism on the principle that the measure of right and wrong could be derived by achieving the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number, and the balance of costs versus benefits. It wassuch thought that the concept of unnecessary suffering was wrought, and Bentham's emphasis on the interested of a being (versus its rights) challenged mans' treatment of other sentient beings. 

"The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?"
                                                                                            - Jeremy Bentham

In fact, utilitarianism ideas led to the first law for the protection of animals in England and Wales in 1822 - "Ill Treatment of Horses and Cattle Bill". Not surprisingly, this bill provided protection for animals, ie. livestock, that held value in society, and did not pertain to how the owner of an animal could treat said animal. In addition, the bill did not provide protections for dogs, poultry or bulls, which was thought to be due to the popularity of cock fights, dog fights, and bull baiting at the time it was passed. 

It wasn't until 1911 when the first comprehensive general law relating to cruetly in animals was passed in the UK - "The Protection of Animals Act 1911", which was used until 2006. 

But back to animal ethics!! Ethics deals with our values, of what we consider good versus bad, right or wrong; it embodies how we ought to behave. The decisions that we make every day have moral dimensions, and even though we may not realize it, the decisions we make have ethical implications. Ethics is made up of five predominant frameworks that play a role in guiding one's ethical stance, and all of these views assume that at least some animals (ie. sentient beings) have moral standing, we have a duty towards them. 

The Contractarian View is focused on the concept that our ethical obligations originate in the mutual agreements (or contracts) we have with others. Mutual cooperation is in everyone's best interests, and through our cooperation agreements/contracts are born. Thus, bringing ethical obligation into being. Non-human animals, however, cannot enter into contractual arrangements, and therefore, in the general sense, we have no ethical duties towards them. 

The Utilitarian View as aforementioned, concerns itself with maximising human and animal well-being. The greatest good for the greatest number. A utilitarian will not only consider what is right and wrong, but also consider better and worse. All sentient being have interests, and therefore, humans and non-humans deserve equal consideration. 

The Animal Rights View is grounded on the foundation that it is unacceptable to treat a sentient being as a means to achieve a goal. No benefit can justify the violation of an animal's rights and dignity. 

The Relational View is based on the concept that our morality grows out of our relationship with animals. Our relationship with them defines our duties towards them. 

The Repsect for Nature View upholds that we have a duty to not only protect individual animals, but the species in which they belong. This view emphasizes preserving species, genetic integrity (as nature intends), ecosytems, and other collective entities. 

For more insight into these five frameworks I've included an additional post - "More Ethics". 

Let' us consider the ethics of dairy farming... (in a nut shell)

The utilitarian view should stand out as the driving framework for most dairy farmers, and it is likely that utilitarian views start developing at a relatively young age for anyone that has grown up on a farm. (For those of us who had the pleasure of being dragged across the ground by our 4H calves, the relational views may have also started to develop.)

Because we are exploiting (yes, exploiting) dairy cattle to provide dairy products for the world, we are constantly weighing the costs and benefits of our operations. For example, when considering how to implement a new practice on your farm, or renovate, a number of questions should cross your mind. How will a new management practice or barn renovation impact my bottom line? What will it cost me, what will be the benefits/returns? Will it impact my employees? How will it impact my dairy cows?

If the last question didn't cross your mind, I'm sorry to inform you that you are not very utilitarian, and you should kindly excuse yourself from the dairy industry. 

Utilitarian practices should find the balance between human and animal benefit. Always. As dairy farmers, we can't uphold strong animal rights views. That concept flies out the window each time you pull on your rubber boots, but this is not a bad thing. The animal rights view doesn't need to raise the alarm. A utilitarian, by definition, will want the best for his or her cows, within his or her means. Upholding good animal welfare practice, at its core, means trying to uphold... you guessed it, the Five Freedoms, and create a life worth living for your cows. 

My experience in the dairy industry has shown me time and time again that farms are not created equal. Each farm will have its strengths and its weaknesses. However, regardless of how old your barn or parlour is, if you have 25 cows or 250 cows, I've learned that animal welfare always begins with the farmer. One simple word sets a great farmer apart from a bad farmer - Respect. Be kind to your cows. Respect them. I implore you to ask yourself - Have your cows had a life worth living?

This brings about the perfect opportunity to introduce the hybrid view. If you haven't already guessed, my animal rights and relational views tend to seep into my utilitarian ethical perspective, and I can't thank my parents more for instilling a love of cows in me that makes me want them to have a life worth living. It's hard for anyone to abide by one ethical framework 100% of the time, which is why the concept of the hybrid view/framework allows us to navigate life's contradictions. Everyone's hybrid view will be distinct, but contain elements of each of the five frameworks. 

Anyone interested in their own ethical stance should check out:  http://www.aedilemma.net and take the ethical dilemma quiz. You will have to create an account, but this allows you to take the quiz again to see how your ethical views change. 

Animal ethics rolled over us quite quickly, and before we knew it, we had emerged from the fray, morally improved, more ethical people... well, hardly. Morality continues to change and develop throughout our entire lives, but it never hurts to self-reflect and challenge your own beliefs. Learning more about animal ethics not only teaches us about ourselves, it also allows us to better understand the perspectives of others, which could be the difference between shipping milk today, and shipping your cows tomorrow.

Edinburgh - Getting Tipsy

Our visit to Edinburgh wouldn’t have been complete without a night out on the town, especially in a city as walkable as this one. With the internet at our fingertips, we took to google for guidance. The real challenge soon became deciding where we should start our night, amd we concocted a plan to ask the locals to guide us in the right direction after our first stop. 

During our search, we stumbled across the Pop Up Geeks website, and much to our liking, they were currently promoting a Lord of The Rings-esque experience. Harry Potter geeks by day, LOTR geeks by night. From the décor, to staff wardrobes, to the drink menu, we knew we couldn’t pass up the experience. The weather had significantly improved, so we opted to ditch the umbrellas and retrace our steps back to Old Town were the Pop Up Geeks was situated.

Now, if Bambs had learned anything about spending time with me the past fews day, it was that even though I pretend to know where I am going, I often have no clue. Wandering with intent if you will. It took us longer than anticipated to reach Pop Up Geeks (Scotsman Stairs and heels are not a recommended combination), with a courtesy call to the staff to push our reservation back by 15 minutes. In hindsight, a much needed 15 minutes to collect ourselves….

When we arrived at the Pop Up Geeks it is safe to say that we were taken aback by the intimate setting (in our excitement about the theme we didn’t stop to consider that it wouldn’t be a lively, somewhat theatrical environment). We had stumbled upon the perfect setting for a romantic evening, or a stellar first date. The dimly-lit, quaint setting, with soothing music in the background, was incredibly well orchestrated, and other than a “What-have-we-done” look to each other when we first arrived, we quickly pulled ourselves together, and followed our lovely host to our table.

The following hour at the Pop Up Geeks was a unique experience and, although slightly off-kilter, we had a fantastic time. The cocktail menu was elaborate and tasteful, and the drinks we ordered were everything we hoped a LOTR themed drink would be. We chatted and basked in the candle-lit room, ultimately having become the 11^th and 12^th wheels to each couple situated in the room. We clinked our glasses and toasted our time in Edinburgh, and the night that was yet to come. When we finished our second drinks, we decided it was time to move on and asked the waiter for a recommendation of where we should go next. We wanted our Edinburgh night-life experience to be more than just a nigh-out, so he pointed us in the direction of Hootie the Redeemer, and recommended Panda and Sons as well.

Hootie the Redeemer is a well-hidden, retro basement bar in New Town that is famous for serving alcoholic milkshakes  (too risky to put that claim to the test unfortunately). Once in the closet-sized foyer, we made our way down a set of stairs. To enter the bar itself, we passed through a hidden doorway that takes the form of a Fortune Telling booth. Having just spent an hour and a half in a relaxed, mystical abode, we were shocked back to our senses by the loud music, chatter, and energetic environment we had stepped into. One world to the next. 

We had already resigned to the fact that our Sunday would probably be a write-off, so when we were presented with the opportunity to have drinks served in individual fish-bowls with fish shaped ice cubes we didn’t hesitate. Personal fish-bowls in hand, we managed to find a seat on a sofa beside two up-and-coming optometrists, who immediately began sassing us about the floating "chicken nuggets" in our drinks. I wish I could say poor eye-sight was to blame, but our once cute fish shaped ice cubes had morphed into fuzzy looking blobs within minutes of submersion. Chunky drinks aside, Hootie's was a blast and we spent the time chatting with the locals and getting additional insight into the Edinburgh nightlife. The staff were friendly, and the decor and bar theme made it incredibly memorable. 

Our journey was far from over, and after bidding our new found friends farewell, we headed down Rose Lane in the direction of Panda and Sons. Rose Lane is a must-see both in daylight and after dark. The cobblestoned street (Rose Street and Rose Lane) are lined with shops and a handful of pubs, restaurants, and bars. We gracefully made our way down Rose Street in our heels, picking our way this way and that along the cobblestones. We stopped at a number of bars along the way to quench our thirst, and eventually came to Charlotte Street, which would lead us to Panda and Sons. Similar to Hootie's, Panda and Sons is a basement cocktail bar, equipped with a hidden entrance bookshelf. The ambiance inside was again unique and on the softer side compared to the previous bar. Couples and groups of friends were seated in tables of all sizes, sipping carefully-crafted designer cocktails of all shapes and sizes. The two of us were seated at a table for two, perfectly postioned for people watching. As we drank our cocktails, ate the incredibly spiced popcorn provided, and nodded along with the in house DJs mix, we couldn't help reminisce about our trip so far. The museums, the architecture, the landscape. The city had so much to offer, and it had been ours for the taking. We drank and ate popcorn, and as the wee hours of the morning approached we decided it was time to head home... at least if we could find the exit. I'm not sure how long we nonchalantly walked about the bar in search of the bookcase that we had emerged from. Long enough to receive sideways glances from seated patrons I'm sure, but not long enough to require assistance. Much to our relief, on our second (or third...) pass, we eventually found the exit and made our way up the stairs and onto the street. Although it was chilly, we opted to make the 25 minute walk back to the AirBNB on foot, taking in the late night sites of New Town... and maybe to sober up after our encounter with an elusive bookcase.