Kantian Ethics, Animal Rights and Vegetarianism

 For class today, we read materials that focuses on Kantian ethics. Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher and a central Enlightenment thinker, importantly sees rationality as a core element of humanity. He argues that being rational beings is what makes humans unique, and that this rationality marks out both the class of moral agents (those who are capable of acting morally) and moral patients (those who we have moral obligations towards) (Hourdequin 48). Following the textbook chapter introducing Kantian ethics, we also read some of Kant’s work directly, as well as an exploration of why Kant excludes animals from direct moral consideration by Dr. Holly Wilson. The theme of non-human animals and morality greatly stood out to me from today’s pieces. I saw paralells between a Kantian approach to anthropocentrism and arguments from other EV classes I have been in, and thought deeply about how Kant’s views of animals as means rather than beings with rights apply to some of my own personal choices such as being vegetarian. 

In her response to Kant’s views on animals and his arguable reputation as an opposer of animal egalitarianism and environmental thinking, Dr. Wilson argues that the reason Kant lowers the moral status of animals is to avoid diminishing that of humans. Throughout my time as a student of Environmental Studies, I have engaged with discourse that argues that environmental protection should greatly account for humans because a sole focus on natural landscape or ecology diminishes the value and role of humans. My response to these arguments about Kant largely mirrors this in that it echoes anthropocentrism and prioritizes elevating human moral value potentially at the expense of that of other species. Dr. Wilson’s commentary on Kant’s stance on animal cruelty being wrong despite animals not inherently having rights on their own also stood out to me and provided an alternative moral justification for my own vegetarianism. I often center animal rights in my discussions around vegetarianism, but find that the analysis of protecting animals being good for humanity, while being rather human-centred, can be a palatable way to further discussions around the meat industry.