Animal Ethics REL 960 / F&ES 647A

Riley – Animal Ethics

Syllabus updated: July 29, 2016

Animal Ethics – REL 960 / F&ES 647a

Yale Divinity School, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and the Yale Department of Religious Studies

Fall 2016

Matthew T. Riley – Instructor –

Tuesdays, 8:30am-10:20am.

Location: Yale Divinity School (room to be determined).

Office Hours: by appointment

Course Description:What are animals and what are our ethical responsibilities to them?This course introduces students to the major ethical questions in animal ethics and explores a variety of philosophical and religious ways of framing human-animal relationships: Is it ethical to eat animals, experiment upon them, or to keep them in zoos or as pets? Do animals have rights?What does the Bible say about animals and what does the Christian tradition teach us about compassion and mercy towards animals? Do all dogs go to heaven?How does animal ethics challenge and expand traditional models of religious ethics?

Students will engage with and compare a wide range of questions and insights from animal ethics, animal studies, animal science,art and culture, and environmental philosophy to understand human relationships to animals. We will also examine how religious traditions, most notably Christianity, transmit and inform contemporary views and ethical frameworks that guide our treatment of other living things. In light of this, the course is organized around three basic categories that pose ethical challenges in animal ethics:

Problems of knowledge: Since animals communicate and live their lives in ways that are difficult for us to understand, our ability to decipher the intellectual, emotional, and social capacities of animals is inherently limited. This limitation poses problems for ethical decision making in that our understandings of animals are always “constructed” in some way. Science and religion, as ways of knowing animals and constructing views towards them, are therefore central concerns for animal ethics.
Problems of experience: Human relationships with animals are informed by personal experience and filtered through religion and culture. Moreover, encounters with animals (both “real” animals and symbolic, mythic, and imagined animals) have long played a central role in religious experience. Ethical possibilities with other animals are therefore complexified by the extraordinary diversity and richness of personal and religious experience and interpretation.
Problems of practice: Contemporary science and technologygrants humans a great deal of power and control over animal lives. Ethical relationships to animals are therefore illuminated and shaded by considerations of justice, dynamics of power, and ideology.

No prior experience in ethics is required. To enhance learning, students in this course will have face-to-face encounters with real animals, multiple guest speakers will visit the class to share their work, and students will also engage in active learning through art at the Yale University Art Gallery. Students in this course are encouraged to be exploratory, critical, and creative in their thinking.

Objectives:Students who complete this course will:

1)Understand the historical emergence and development of animal ethics.

2)Become conversant in, and learn to utilize,the fundamental methodologiesof animal ethics as read throughthe lenses of religious ethics and secular ethical theory.

3)Be able to assess the effectiveness of applied, pragmatic approaches to animal ethics and to think critically about the successes, or failures, of on-the-ground attempts to apply ethics to action.

4)Think, speak, and write critically about animal ethics.

Course Format: This courseis offered to students including, but not limited to, students in the Yale Divinity School, the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Yale Department of Religious Studies, and students in Environmental Studies. Class meetings will typically consist of a short lecture by the instructorfollowed by class discussion and reflection. It meets once per week and is worth three credits.

Course Requirements and Grading: Students are expected to complete the following:

-15-20 page Research Paper. (55% of final grade).

-Animal Experiences and Reflection. (15% of final grade).

-Reading of books and articles as demonstrated through Film Responses. (15% of final grade).

-Reading of books and articles as demonstrated through active participation in class discussions. (15% of final grade).

Grading Rubric

H / 95-100% / Work receiving a grade of “Honors” is exemplary scholarship which features clear writing, expression of nuanced arguments and insights, and has the originality and structure expected in publication quality work. This is work that uses an effective rhetorical structure nearing professional level writing and it is coherent and enjoyable to read from beginning to end. Honors work will have negligible issues with grammar and formatting.
H- / 90-94% / Work receiving a grade of “Honors Minus” indicates outstanding work in the form of quality writing, well-considered arguments and insights, and which also shows a depth of thought and originality that nears that of publication quality work. Honors Minus work will often have minimal issues with grammar and formatting.
HP+ / 87-89% / Work receiving a grade of “Honors Pass Plus” indicates acceptable work which may include the following attributes: Clear but somewhat disorganized writing, arguments and insights that are cogent but which need further refinement, and a level of thought that is more descriptive than critical. Honors Pass Plus work will often have some issues with grammar and formatting.
HP / 84-86% / Work receiving a grade of “Honors Pass” indicates acceptable work which should include many, but not all, of the following attributes: Clear but somewhat disorganized writing, arguments and insights that are cogent but which need further refinement, and a level of thought that is more descriptive than critical. Honors Pass work will often have some issues with grammar and formatting.
HP- / 80-83% / Work receiving a grade of “Honors Pass Minus” indicates work which shows clear effort and intent to complete the assignment, but which may feature several of the following: Disorganized writing, an argument which conflicts itself or which is purely descriptive in nature, a misunderstanding of source materials, or it will have significant issues with grammar and formatting.
P / 70-79% / Work receiving a grade of “Pass” indicates work that was turned in, but which minimally adheres to the standards of academic writing and critical thought.
F / 0 / Passing credit cannot be given for this work.
W / Withdrawal / Student withdrew from course.

Animal Experiences and Reflection: Animals are often absent from consideration in ethical decision-making. While “real” animals are featured in the readings and films assigned for this course, firsthand encounters with animals can shape how we think about them in surprising and deep ways. Your assignment, then, is to have at least one interaction with an animal (or animals) during the semester and to write a short reflection paper that describes your experience and links it to the appropriate readings and concepts from this course. Reflection papers should be approximately 1,000 words in length and are due November 18th (via email in the form of a Word document, 12 pt. font, double spaced, etc). You are encouraged to engage with animals in meaningful ways that are appropriate to this course. While experiences will vary greatly, and we can discuss alternatives in class, please refer to the following list for ideas:

Visit a local animal shelter or rescue operation.
Spend time on a local farm where animals are raised for food.
Go to a zoo or aquarium.
Spend time outdoors observing wildlife.

Film Responses: Each student is responsible to watch two films outside of class and to post a short (~800 words) response to those films in the online discussion forum (Canvas). The first post is due October 4th and the second is due November 1st. Your task is not to summarize the film, but rather to discuss it in relationship to the ethical theories presented in this class. Your posts should reference the readings closely, examine and assess the ethical frameworks discussed in those readings as they apply to the film, and discuss the ways in which the film challenges or expands upon those ethical concepts or frameworks. You should also offer some critique of the film, for example assessing its distortion of morally relevant facts or inconsistencies in the ethic that it presents.

In addition to your own posts, each student is also required to respond to the posts of at least two other students after completing each of your own responses by providing additional insights based on the readings and asking critical questions that engage with a particular mode of ethical thought. Responses are due two days after posting (Oct. 6th and Nov. 3rd).

Students must have instructor approval before choosing a film or choose one of the following:

Baraka, directed by Ron Fricke.
The Cove, directed by Louie Psihoyos.
My Neighbor Totoro, directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
More Than Honey, directed by Markus Imhoof.
Peaceable Kingdom, directed by Jenny Stein.
Zootopia, Disney.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams, directed by Werner Herzog.
Forks Over Knives, directed by Lee Fulkerson.
Earthlings, directed by Shaun Monson.
The Elephant in the Living Room, directed by Michael Webber.
Blackfish, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite.
The Ghosts in Our Machine, directed by Liz Marshall.
Eating Mercifully, by The Humane Society of the United States.

Research Paper: Each student is required to write a research paper on the topic of their choosing (with instructor approval). Like the reading responses, your task is to engage with a particular way of thinking about animal ethics. You may organize your paper around a particular animal ethics issue or ethical framework, but the main task of your paper is report on a particular way of thinking about animal ethics, to critically examine it, and to draw it into conversation with the broader ethical theories presented in this course. Papers should be in the form of a Word document, use 12pt. font, be double spaced, have 1-inch margins, be 15-20 pages in length, and should also have a works cited list in addition to the paper. Additional instructions will be provided in class. The paper is dueDecember9th (rough draft due December 5th).

Classroom Culture, Participation, and Academic Integrity:This course is intended to be an intellectually challenging opportunity for personal growth and development. Since this is a shared learning environment, participants in this course are expected to be respectful of others. This includes actively listening to one another, being respectful of the time and ideas of your classmates, and entering into the classroom with a desire to engage and learn in a collaborative fashion.

Students participating in this course must adhere to the standards of academic integrity. If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the YDS Bulletin for guidelines regarding plagiarism and citing sources. When in doubt, consult the instructor of this course.

Absences and Late Work: Students are expected to attend classes and to turn work in on time. In the case of emergencies and extenuating circumstances, extensions may only be given with prior consent from the instructor. Late papers will have a portion of the final grade for that assignment deducted for each day that it is late (for example, an “H” paper that is one day late will receive a mark of “H-” and an “H” paper that is two days late will receive a mark of “HP+”).

Special Accommodations: Students with documented learning challenges, health conditions, or who are non-native speakers of English should meet with the instructor at the beginning of the semester. Students should also contact, and work with, the appropriate resources available to them on campus to aid in their learning. Your learning is important and I will make every reasonable effort to facilitate your success in this course. For more information, please consult the Student Handbook and the YDS website.

Required Texts: The following books can be purchased at the YDS Student Book Supply or via an online bookseller. Additional readings, such as articles, will be provided on Canvas.

Paul Waldau and Kimberley Patton. Editors. 2006. A Communion of Subjects: Animals in Religion, Science, and Ethics. New York: Columbia University Press.
Jonathan Safran Foer. 2009. Eating Animals. New York: Bay Back Books.
Susan Armstrong and Richard G. Botzler, Editors. 2008. The Animal Ethics Reader, 2nd edition. New York: Routledge.
Andrew Linzey and Tom Regan, Editors. 2007. Animals and Christianity: A Book of Readings. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock.

Course Schedule:

Sept. 6 –Why Study Animals? Disciplines and Directions part 1 of 2 – Animal Ethics and Animal Studies.

Discussion Questions: What is an animal? What are the fields of study known as animal ethics and animal studies and what are their methodologies and theoretical perspectives? How does language impact our thinking and are terms like “animal,” “nonhumans,” “animal others,” and “other-than-human animals” interchangeable? How are ethical relationships between humans and animals shaped by culture, time, philosophy, ethics, and religion? Who is a “person” and what does it mean to be “human?” In what ways does animal ethics expand or reconfigure traditional philosophical ethics?

Readings:

Susan Armstrong and Richard Botzler, “Animal Ethics: A Sketch of How it Developed and Where it is Now,” in The Animal Ethics Reader, 1-13.
John Berger, “Why Look at Animals?” 3-28.
Aaron Gross, “Animal Others and Animal Studies,” in Animals and the Human Imagination, 1-24.
Margo DeMello, Animals and Society, 1-31.
Lori Gruen, Ethics and Animals, xiii-xvi.
Jacques Derrida, “The Animal that Therefore I Am,” selections.

Sept. 13–Why Study Animals? Disciplines and Directions part 2 of 2 – Animals and the Study of Religion: Definitions of Religion, Symbols, Totems, Sacrifice, and Myths.

Discussion Questions: Are animals essential to the religious experience? How have depictions and understandings of animals in religion changed historically? In what ways are animals central to, rather than separate from, the religious experiences of many human beings? How do we distinguish between purely symbolic representations of animals in religion and references to “real” animals? Can animals be said to have souls? Can animals be religious actors? Why or why not? How might religious ethical perspectives differ from, enhance, or critique secular forms of animal ethics?

Readings:

Claude Lévi-Strauss, Totemism, selections.
Paul Waldau and Kimberley Patton, “Introduction,” in Communion of Subjects, 11-23.
Kimberley Patton, “Traditional Views of Animals in Religion,” in Communion of Subjects, 27-39.
Paul Waldau, “Seeing the Terrain We Walk: Features of the Contemporary Landscape of ‘Religion and Animals,’” in Communion of Subjects, 40-61.
Steven Wise, “Animal Law and Animal Sacrifice: Analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Santeria Animal Sacrifice in Hialeah,” in Communion of Subjects, 585-587.
Riley, “A Spiritual Democracy of All God’s Creatures,” online, pp. 241-260.
Thomas Berry, “Loneliness and Presence,” in Communion of Subjects, 5-10.
Selections from Aquinas, Calvin, Augustine, Irenaeus, Tillich, and Lewis, in Animals and Christianity, 17-22, 87, 91-92, 106-109, and 124-126.

Sept. 20– Being Animal: The Intelligence, Emotions, and Social Lives of Animals and What Animals canTeach us about Ethics.

Discussion Questions: What do we know about animals and how do we know it? What is animal ethology? How have developments in the science of animal cognition changed over time and how are new developments challenging traditional views of animal subjectivity and experience? What do we know about intelligence and emotions in animals and how does this inform utilitarian values? Which animals are social creatures and why does this matter for ethics?

Readings:

Darwin, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, selections.
Jane Goodall, “The Dance of Awe,” in Communion of Subjects, 651-656.
Marc Bekoff, “Wild Justice, Social Cognition, Fairness, and Morality,” in Communion of Subjects, 461-480.
R. G. Frey, “Utilitarianism and Animals,” in The Oxford Handbook of Animal Ethics, 172-197.
M. Mendi and E. S. Paul, “Consciousness, Emotion and Animal Welfare: Insights From Cognitive Science,” in The Animal Ethics Reader, 71-83.
Graham Harvey, Animism, xi-xix and 99-114.
Bonaventure, “The Life of St. Francis,” in Animals and Christianity, 28-33.
Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, G.W.F. Hegel, and Aristotle in Animal Rights: A Historical Anthology, 17-20, 32-33, 39-41, and 56-58.
Selections from the Bible, “On Afterlife and Cosmic Redemption,” in Animals and Christianity, 85-86.