Animal Rights
One of the main points I will be using in my argument against factory farming is that most of the farms treat their animal inhumanely. But this brings up a very important issue. What is considered humane? The key word in humane is human, so why should these rights be extended to animals? Should these rights only be extended to sentient beings, and if so how do we decide who is considered to be sentient? Here, I hope to clear up how I will define these terms throughout my argument.
Humane.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines humane as
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines humane as
marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals
Of course many people have compassion and sympathy towards the animals, but the key word in this definition is consideration. People can have all the compassion and sympathy in the world towards these, but that doesn't mean they will change their ways. If we take the animals pain and well-being into consideration, this may cause people to change their ways. As mentioned before, there is no way of knowing for sure if animals can feel pain, and whether they are sentient beings, but we can look at studies to get a good idea. I argue that any being who is considered to be sentient, should also be treated in a humane way, because they would be aware of the pain they are being put through, and any sane human being would agree that causing pain upon any being would not be just.
Sentience
To begin, sentient is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as
Sentience
To begin, sentient is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as
responsive to or conscious of sense impressions
This means that any being who is aware of their emotions or feelings, they are considered to be sentient. In an article about cows, PETA states
According to research, cows are generally very intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time. Animal behaviorists have found that cows interact in socially complex ways, developing friendships over time and sometimes holding grudges against other cows who treat them badly.
In an article about pigs, PETA also states
Considered by animal behaviorists to be smarter than 3-year-old children, pigs are very clever animals.
About chickens, PETA states,
Many people do not realize that chickens are inquisitive, interesting animals who are as intelligent as mammals such as cats, dogs, and even some primates.
These accounts are only about the three animals who are factory farmed the most. This doesn't account for all the other animals who are factory farmed as well and also feel every ounce of pain placed upon them. In the video documentary produced by PETA, Meet Your Meat, it is easy to see the pain many of these animals are put through, both before and during slaughter. You can see the video here. The animals scream and writhe in pain, and mourn for the loss of their mothers or children. This proves the animals have sentience, and therefore should be treated humanely, or at least have their pain and sanity considered.
To view my argument against animal cruelty, click the button below.
To view my argument against animal cruelty, click the button below.