
The Nature of the Beast: Are Animals Moral?
This work investigates whether moral agency is an exclusively human trait or if non-human animals possess the capacity for ethical behavior. Stephen R. L. Clark, a philosopher specializing in animal rights and classical thought, utilizes a combination of evolutionary biology, ethology, and moral philosophy to challenge the anthropocentric view of ethics. He argues that the divide between human morality and animal instinct is less distinct than traditional philosophy suggests, proposing that social cooperation and altruism in animals serve as precursors to human moral systems.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts in the field of animal ethics recognize this text as a significant contribution to the debate on moral status and cognitive capacity. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a foundational understanding of philosophical terminology to fully grasp the author's arguments.
Page Count:
144
Publication Date:
1982-10-14
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192191306
ISBN-13:
9780192191304
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!