Monthly Archives: April 2011

The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? But rather, Can they suffer? ~ Jeremy Bentham There is already a nearly universal agreement that there is some type of moral limit on the degree of human freedom in our dealings with non-human animals (Regan, Defending Animal Rights 3). One need only to look at the moral outrage surrounding the Michael Vick dogfighting case (Connelly) or the almost unanimous support of laws outlawing cockfighting (Jennings) to see that a broad consensus exists that not all human uses of animals are to be allowed. Nor is this a new development in human moral theory or popular sentiment. Jeremy Bentham provided the world with the quote that introduces this paper in 1789, in a footnote to his An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. In considering the limited degree of protection afforded to slaves in the French West Indies by the King of France (Code Noir (The Black Code)), Bentham extended his moral philosophy to… Read more