Research Paper Introduction

Emily Montgomery

Exposition and Argument Section HM

Erin Kelly

Research Paper Intro #1

17 November 2016

The essential difference between humans and all other animals is human ability to self-reflect and recognize one’s own existence. Why, then, do humans treat different animals differently. Animal welfare is a major ethical issue in society and there are many areas in which conditions for animals should and can be improved. Humans are capable of thinking of themselves as humans and also thinking about the consequences of their actions on others. Therefore, humans are consciously treating some animals much better than others. We treat our companion animals as part of our families, some pets even live better lives than many humans. Contrastly, we treat livestock as if they were not even alive, with cruel and inhumane techniques in order to maximize profit and time. These conditions are described by Peter Singer and Jim Mason in “Meat and Milk Factories”. Additionally, as Charles Siebert exemplifies in “An Elephant Crackup?”, our wild animals are captured or disrupted rather in many cases rather than protected or left alone. What causes this discrepancy between treatment and type of animal? Humans feel more ethically responsibility toward animals they perceive as more human-like but these human-like characteristics can also be overlooked to fulfill another purpose, such as monetary gain. The treatment of animals is entirely reliant on an individual’s ethical morals and ability to recognize the animal as a living thing much like oneself. The reasons for animal abuse and mistreatment can be used to combat the problem. In order to lead people to respect and proper treatment of all animals, the people must see the animals as similar to themselves.