singer vs reagan
Despite their rather different philosophical foundations, both philosophers arrive at basically the same conclusions. Singer takes a utilitarian approach, while Regan takes a deontological "rights" and "inherent value" position. In the end they both take a position of vegetarianism and advocated banning animal experimentation and sport hunting. In an exchange of letters in the April 25, 1985 issue of The New York Review of Books, Regan writes: "Singer and I have been independently applying and developing very different ethical theories to ... the treatment of non-human animals." He continues that "it is difficult to exaggerate the radical moral difference between Singer's utilitarianism and the rights view". At the end of Singer's reply to Regan, Singer mentions: "The practical value of Regan's book (All the dwell Therein) lies in its attack on our social practices of using animals as research tools and as mere lumps of palatable living flesh. On these practical issues Regan and I are in full agreement. Viewed from the perspective of a society which continues to accept these practices, the philosophical differences between us hardly matter."In 1975, Australian philosopher Peter Singer wrote a book called An
Regan disagrees with Singer's utilitarian program for animal liberation. Regan allocates intrinsic value to animals and humans. This value describes the animals', or human's right to life and concern for them. Regan feels that the utilitarian view lacks this intrinsic value. In addition, he states the goals of his theologies: "The total abolition of the use of animals in science, the total dissolution of commercial animal agriculture, and the total elimination of commercial and sport hunting and trapping." In addition, he sees Singer's utilitarian view noted above, failing on two accounts. First, utilitarianism is concerned only with the desires of a being, e.g. such as the desire for pleasure. At the same time the view takes no regard for the inherent worth of these beings (human or animal). Second, Regan emphasizes the problem of utilitarianism that it would be morally permissible to arbitrarily make an individual suffer for the benefit of the greater good. Regan issues that "the best theory of morality will be one that grants rights to all beings who have inherent worth. This prevents morality from becoming an exclusive club as in contractarianism, and does not allow individuals to be exploited on behalf of the greater good." Regan explains that a being has inherent worth when it is a subject of a life, or when the being has preferences, beliefs, feelings, recollections, and expectations. It has been noted that many animals exhibit these features and therefore have inherent worth. Regan criticizes alternati
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Approximate Word count = 1030
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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