Disvalue in the Natural World: Should We Intervene to Reduce Animal Suffering in Nature?

Oscar Horta
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa
2 de Março – 14:30
Sala Mattos Romão
Entrada Livre – Lotação Limitada

ABSTRACT:
Many people think nonhuman animals live great lives in the wild.
However, this view is wrong. Population dynamics teach us that the
overwhelming majority of the animals that come to existence in nature
die shortly after. Those deaths are often painful. Furthermore, those
who survive often suffer and die from malnutrition, disease,
accidents, harsh weather conditions, fear, etc., or are killed by
predators or parasites. This gives us a strong reason to intervene in
nature to reduce the harms animals suffer. We may reject this if we
think (i) that only human interests count; (ii) that alleged
impersonal values such as environmental ideals count for more than the
interests of sentient beings; or (iii) that intervention in nature
cannot succeed. However, there are powerful arguments to reject all
these claims. If they are right, there is a strong case for
intervention in nature for the sake of nonhuman animals. This also
entails that if the interests of individuals count significantly
beyond what speciesist anthropocentric views assume, we must defend
the interests of nonhuman animals over environmentalist concerns.

Organização
Centro de Filosofia da Universidade de Lisboa
Ética, Política e Ambiente
Filosofia da Acção e dos Valores