Practices: critical thinking, topical writing
- What, if anything, is wrong with hunting? Is it acceptable to hunt deer (for example) in order to keep the herd from growing too large? Is it acceptable to hunt if the purpose of doing so is to provide food for humans—and all of the flesh is in fact consumed? Can it be wrong for some people but not others to hunt? If so, who can hunt and why?
- Is there an ethically relevant difference between eating wild animals and eating domesticated animals? After all, wild animals are not confined. If they’re killed painlessly and eaten, what’s wrong with that? They’re going to die anyway, perhaps violently.
- What’s the difference (if there is one) between animal liberation, animal rights, and animal welfare?
- We speak of “euthanizing” strays and other unwanted animals. Is this really euthanasia? If not, why do we call it that?
- Is it ever permissible to experiment on an animal? If so, when and why? Isn’t our health care as good as it is only because of animal experimentation? Won’t we be stifling medical progress if we curb experimentation on animals?