Abstract
Some philosophers have argued that moral agency is characteristic of humans alone and that its absence from other animals justifies granting higher moral status to humans. However, human beings do not have a monopoly on moral agency, which admits of varying degrees and does not require mastery of moral principles. The view that all and only humans possess moral agency indicates our underestimation of the mental lives of other animals. Since many other animals are moral agents (to varying degrees), they are also subject to (limited) moral obligations, examples of which are provided in this paper. But, while moral agency is sufficient for significant moral status, it is by no means necessary.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
de Waal F. (1996) Good Natured: The Origins of Right and Wrong in Humans and Other Animals. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA
DeGrazia D. (1996) Taking Animals Seriously: Mental Life and Moral Status. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Everett J. (2001) Environmental Ethics, Animal Welfarism, and the Problem of Predation. Ethics & the Environment 6: 42–67
Johnson L.E. (1983) Can Animals Be Moral Agents?. Ethics & Animals 4: 50–61
Leahy M. (1993) Against Liberation: Putting Animals in Perspective. Routledge, New York
Machan T.R. (2002) Why Human Beings May Use Animals. Journal of Value Inquiry 36: 9–14
Masserman J.H., Wechkin S., and Terris W. (1964) ’Altruistic’ Behavior in Rhesus Monkeys. American Journal of Psychiatry 121:584–585
McCloskey H.J. (1987) The Moral Case for Experimentation on Animals. The Monist 70(1): 64–82
Melden A.I. (1988) Rights in Moral Lives. University of California Press, Berkeley
Milgram, S. Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View. New York: Harper & Row, 1974. Washington Post News Services. “Gorilla Rescues Toddler.” August 17, 1996: A2.
Patterson F., and Gordon W. (1993) The Case for the Personhood of Gorillas. In: Cavalieri P., and Singer P. (eds) The Great Ape Project: Equality Beyond Humanity. St. Martin’s Press, New York
Pluhar E. (1995) Beyond Prejudice: The Moral Significance of Human and Nonhuman Animals. Duke University Press, Durham, NC
Rachels J. (1990) Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Regan T. (1983) The Case for Animal Rights. University of California Press, Berkeley
Sagan C., and Druyan A. (1993) Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. Ballantine Books, New York
Sapontzis S.F. (1987) Morals, Reasons, and Animals. Temple University Press, Philadelphia
Wechkin S., Masserman J.H., and Terris W. (1964) Shock to a Conspecific as an Aversive Stimulus. Psychonomic Science 1: 47–48
Wrangham R., and Peterson D. (1997) Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence. Houghton Mifflin Books, New York
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank David DeGrazia, Gaverick Matheny, and Ryan Shapiro for their invaluable comments on this paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shapiro, P. Moral Agency in Other Animals. Theor Med Bioeth 27, 357–373 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11017-006-9010-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11017-006-9010-0