<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The paper aims to highlight the serious methodological issue of contemporary bioethics (especially topics on the subject of animal ethics). In the discourse on the issue of the pain and suffering of animals and in derived questions, a certain form of anthropomorphism is manifested. Ethical applications of empirical research results that are relevant to humans (or humans as an anatomically and physiologically analogous animal species) are preferred. Subsequently, these extrapolations serve as a criterion for judging the qualitative level of the capabilities of all animals. Serious ethical conclusions are drawn from this reduction.</p></abstract>

The paper aims to highlight the serious methodological issue of contemporary bioethics (especially topics on the subject of animal ethics). In the discourse on the issue of the pain and suffering of animals and in derived questions, a certain form of anthropomorphism is manifested. Ethical applications of empirical research results that are relevant to humans (or humans as an anatomically and physiologically analogous animal species) are preferred. Subsequently, these extrapolations serve as a criterion for judging the qualitative level of the capabilities of all animals. Serious ethical conclusions are drawn from this reduction.

Anthropomorphism as a methodological problem of animal ethics (in the memory of Sir Patrick Bateson)

Ethics & Bioethics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The paper aims to highlight the serious methodological issue of contemporary bioethics (especially topics on the subject of animal ethics). In the discourse on...

Anthropomorphism as a methodological problem of animal ethics (in the memory of Sir Patrick Bateson)

Published Online: Dec 30, 2017

Page range: 169 - 176

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ebce-2017-0016

Keywords
bioethics, anthropomorphism, animal behaviour, pain, evolution

© 2017 Petr Jemelka et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Anthropomorphism as a methodological problem of animal ethics (in the memory of Sir Patrick Bateson)

Published Online: Dec 30, 2017

Page range: 169 - 176

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ebce-2017-0016

Keywordsbioethics, anthropomorphism, animal behaviour, pain, evolution

© 2017 Petr Jemelka et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
bioethics, anthropomorphism, animal behaviour, pain, evolution