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Fish welfare as a discussion on moral status and duties Bernice Bovenkerk Ethics Institute Utrecht University Leading questions: • Why should one be concerned about the welfare of fish? • What are the presuppositions in terms of the moral status of fish and our duties towards fish? Ethics and morality Ethics: critical reflection on good and bad Systematic reflection on morals Morals: Existing system of norms and values 3 levels: meta-ethics, descriptive ethics, normative ethics Normative ethics: identifying acceptable principles about 1) right and wrong action, 2) values 2 definitions of ethical theory 1) Formal: certain general characteristics ( p.e. universal validity/ overridingness) No claims regarding content 2) Substantive:definition of morality that does have a specific content (p.e. morality is a universal system aimed ad decreasing suffering in the world) Influence on moral status Definition one uses influences look on moral status. No theory-independent view of moral status Structure of presentation 1) 2) 3) 4) My own research Extension of moral concern to animals Concept of moral status Why is welfare of fish important for discussion on their moral status? Research project Research questions • What properties of fish could confer moral status? • What does it mean to speak about moral status? • What do we mean by fish welfare? Welfare is a term that combines biology and moral norms • Beyond welfare: Is the killing of fish morally justified? Expansion of moral community All life forms Animals Fish? Women/ other classes White men Distinction between humans and non-humans • On the basis of specific characteristics: Intelligence, creativity, sensitivity, moral agency • Two problems: 1) None of these characteristiscs are exclusively human 2) Not all human beings possess these characteristics Personhood • Kant • Tied in with rationality and self-reflection or self-awareness • If we have self-reflection we have a practical identity and we can perceive our own life as worth living • Problem of marginal cases Pain • Animal ethicists focus on what humans and other animals have in common • Animal in pain cries • Makes a direct moral claim on us • Content of the moral claim? Moral status Moral considerability vs moral significance 4 justifications for moral considerability 1) 2) 3) 4) Utilitarian Deontologica/ rights-based Relational/ care ethical Virtue ethical Utilitarian justification • Peter Singer • Ability to feel pain and pleasure • Preference utilitarian • Basis moral status > interests > sentience Deontological line • • • • Tom Regan Subjects-of-a-life Cognitive capacities Experiential welfare, a sense of the future, desires and beliefs, acting intentionally, sense of future Relational/ care-ethical line • Does not focus on intrinsic properties • Obligations based on relationship with animal • Element of bias? • Focus on responsibilities • Asks a different question Virtue ethics • Rejects emphasis on rational argumentation • Animals members of our community • If we treat them badly we display wrong character traits • Gives us no method for arguing for moral considerability or establishing moral significance Theoretical frameworks No theory-independent view on moral status • Regan: Kant > autonomy > cognitive abilities • Singer: utilitarians promote non-moral values, such as happiness > suffering • No answer to moral significance question • Why should moral status be central? • Does it admit of gradation? – Are we looking at the right level? Fish are a borderline case • Difficult to establish whether fish have awareness and can suffer • Raises questions for moral status of other animals as well • Where do we draw the line? Conclusion • Project will focus on 2 levels: 1) Specific moral theories > input from empirical research 2) Meta-ethical questions: what does moral status mean? On what normative assumptions is it based?