Ethical theories and nonhuman animals

Abstract

Ethics is a critical reflection on how we should act, while morals are the actions themselves and the reasons behind them. Animal ethics specifically addresses how nonhuman animals should be considered in our moral decisions. Different ethical theories, despite their disagreements on specific actions, largely concur on the moral consideration of nonhuman animals and the rejection of speciesism. Major ethical theories, including egalitarianism, prioritarianism, utilitarianism, suffering-focused ethics, negative consequentialism, rights theories, contractarianism, virtue ethics, care ethics, and discourse ethics, each offer distinct arguments that ultimately support considering the interests of all sentient beings. While ethical theories may conflict, and individual moral intuitions may differ, the most widely accepted theories converge on the importance of animal welfare. – AI-generated abstract.