Animals’ Pleasures

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14394/etyka.1317

Keywords:

animals, pleasure, pain, suffering, well-being, hedonism

Abstract

In this article we argue that it is reasonable to believe that normal vertebrate animals can feel pleasure, and that there is sufficient evidence for a capacity for pleasure in some invertebrates. It follows that the pleasures of animals are morally significant. We argue for that in a few steps. First, we explain why philosophers used to concentrate more on pain rather than pleasure in regard to animals. Second, we define the notion of pleasure and show how it implies to non-human animals. Third we discuss whether animals are conscious beings and how they may feel pleasure. It is true that we do not know exactly how pain and pleasure feel to nonhumans, but this is also true for other humans. Even though we can give a detailed verbal description of what we feel, pains and pleasures are subjective and we do not have any certain insight into what another human is feeling. This limitation should not stop us from behaving in a way that takes into account the fact that both we and many nonhuman animals are beings who can suffer and enjoy.

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Author Biographies

Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, Uniwersytet Łódzki

Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Łódz, Poland. She is a hedonistic utilitarian. The author of Godny pożądania stan świadomości, a book on the notion of well-being and pleasure. Together with Peter Singer she has written The Point of View of the Universe, Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction and edited J. S. Mill’s Utilitarianism.

Peter Singer, Princeton University, University of Melbourne

Peter Singer, professor of bioethics at Princeton University, has written, co-authored, edited or co-edited more than 40 books, including Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, The Life You Can Save, The Most Good You Can Do and, most recently Why Vegan? His writings have inspired both the animal rights movement and effective altruism, and he is the founder of the charity „The Life You Can Save”.

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Published

2023-05-31 — Updated on 2024-11-18

How to Cite

de Lazari-Radek, Katarzyna, and Peter Singer. 2024. “Animals’ Pleasures”. Etyka 59 (1-2). Warsaw, Poland:20-37. https://doi.org/10.14394/etyka.1317.

Issue

Vol. 59 No. 1-2 (2023)

Section

Papers

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Copyright (c) 2023 Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, Peter Singer

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