Previous lecture I introduced you to a development, which has its real roots in the 1960s -1970s.
That man was aware of the well-being and suffering of animals is shown by the Reverend Nathaniel Ward (1578–1652), an English lawyer, Puritan clergyman, and University of Cambridge graduate.
Ward's list of "rites" included rite 92: "No man shall exercise any Tirrany or Crueltie toward any brute Creature which are usually kept for man's use."
In 1809, Lord Erskine (1750-1823) introduced a bill to protect cattle and horses from malicious wounding, wanton cruelty, and beating.
The development in England of the concept of animal rights was strongly supported by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860).
He wrote that Europeans were "awakening more and more to a sense that beasts have rights, related to the strange notion, that the animal kingdom came into existence solely for the benefit and pleasure of man.
He stopped short of advocating vegetarianism, arguing that, so long as an animal's death was quick, men would suffer more by not eating meat than animals would suffer by being eaten.
I just picked a few examples from history which show, that through time man has been aware of the fact that animals are not just automata, as Descartes thought, but sentient beings.
Due to the technological developments in our time the attention for animal rights has become a global issue. It is put on the political agenda.
One group who does so is Critical Animal Studies (CAS). It is an interdisciplinary scientific field and theory-to-activism global community,
which originated at the beginning of the 21st century. The core interest of CAS is ethical reflection on relations between people and other animals.
CAS traces its history back to critical social movements of the 1960s and 70s, which is when ecological and animal questions entered the academic debate.
Supporters of CAS often emphasize that although animal studies has made a large contribution to growing awareness
about the complexities of human-animal relations, it lacks a deep moral engagement and remains detached from the most significant problems.
Therefor CAS also promotes activism. We have seen many examples of this in recent years.
One of the most destructive groups in the 1990s and later was the Animal Liberation Front. I remember the news reports about the release of mink in the night on mink farms.
The protests and actions eventually ended in a ban on the massive breeding of mink. Another target were the chickens, that had to live in way to small cages for the productions of eggs.
Today, the supermarkets are trying to make us believe that the eggs we buy now are laid by chickens, which are kept in larger spaces or even can walk around out in the open.
As you see man also can learn and obtain new insights in his relation with nature and animals. Of course it is far from perfect still, but we see a growing respect for nature and its animals.
The Discussion
[13:20] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): we have to live with nature, because we are a part of it
[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): so true
[13:22] herman Bergson: it is interesting to see, that this insight reaches a larger audience only since the 1970s
[13:23] herman Bergson: Through history there were a lot of thinkers who had ideas about animals and how to treat them, though
[13:23] herman Bergson: Bu tthe previous century put it really on the political agenda
[13:24] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): in every country?
[13:24] herman Bergson: I don't know
[13:24] CB Axel: The book "Black Beauty" led to better treatment of horses in the US. :)
[13:25] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): what about the dancing bears in Albania for instance?
[13:25] herman Bergson: since a special law passed in 2006 in the US....forgot the name....animal activism is qualified as terrorism in the US
[13:26] CB Axel: The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA)
[13:26] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): like the activists here in the Netherlands?
[13:26] herman Bergson: In Asia they still eat dog meat, which upsets us....I know
[13:27] herman Bergson: Yes..CB....That law....thnx :-)
[13:27] CB Axel: PETA is a pain in the ass group. I agree with a lot of their agenda, but I don't like their tactics.
[13:28] herman Bergson: In a short period of time animal activists created a damage of more that 40 million dollar in the UK...
[13:28] herman Bergson: Here in the Netherlands they opened the mink cages and let the animals out
[13:29] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and they then died cause could not live in the wild
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): I think
[13:29] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): you can smell mink cages from kilometers distance
[13:29] CB Axel: Yeah. All those weasels stink.
[13:30] herman Bergson: I don't know what happened to the animals, Bejiita, but you might be right
[13:30] CB Axel: But after they did that mink farms were banned, right?
[13:30] CB Axel: so it worked.
[13:30] herman Bergson: Yes it worked indeed
[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah In the end
[13:31] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): they wanted the fur of the minks, but we use leather too..is that as awful as fur?
[13:31] herman Bergson: This activism put the farms and the animal well-being on the agenda...
[13:31] herman Bergson: Fur industry collapsed too
[13:31] CB Axel: Animal rights groups would say leather is just as bad.
[13:32] herman Bergson: It is a serious debate indeed....
[13:32] CB Axel: But I think if we use the rest of the animal for food and whatever it's not as bad as growing a mink just for its fur.
[13:32] herman Bergson: Is man allowed to use animals for his needs...?
[13:32] herman Bergson: I agree, CB
[13:33] CB Axel: Like I said on Tuesday, the animals would use us for their needs, so as long as we treat them well I'm ok with it.
[13:33] herman Bergson: Yet such actions give you sometimes a feeling of guilt....towards animals
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its a tricky subject indeed
[13:34] herman Bergson: I agree with your point of view CB...I also take such a position
[13:34] CB Axel: As long as it's for something like food or clothing it's ok, imo. But just using them because one thinks a fur coat is pretty or because one wants to hang its head on the wall seems silly to me.
[13:34] CB Axel: I think the furs look prettier on the original animal. :)
[13:35] herman Bergson: My cat will agree with that, CB :-)
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): better on a real lion then on a fashion lion
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:35] CB Axel: Or a mink
[13:35] CB Axel: My mother had a mink jacket. I wasn't impressed.
[13:36] herman Bergson: You see very few fur coats these days....
[13:36] herman Bergson: and when there is fur on a coat, people hasten to say that it is artificial fur
[13:36] CB Axel: I'll still see faux furs, but I don't even see many of those.
[13:37] herman Bergson: ah...you call it faux fur, CB?
[13:37] CB Axel: Some do, yes.
[13:38] herman Bergson: At least we can conclude that these animal activist's protests have an impact on the general public
[13:38] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes
[13:38] CB Axel: I feel sorry for those poor fauxes they get them from. LOL
[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): I guess thats so indeed
[13:38] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): they open they eyes
[13:39] herman Bergson: It shows a little positive learning behavior of people...
[13:39] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): there
[13:39] herman Bergson: their eyes, yes :-)
[13:39] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): oops yes
[13:39] herman Bergson grins
[13:40] herman Bergson: sorry
[13:40] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): np
[13:40] herman Bergson: old schoolmaster here
[13:40] CB Axel: :)
[13:40] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ols student here :)
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:40] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): old
[13:40] herman Bergson: ^_^
[13:41] herman Bergson: This all shows that activism and actions can influence a public opinion in a desired way
[13:41] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): eating meat is a question.....but eating fish?..is that different?
[13:41] CB Axel: Anti-war protests haven't helped.
[13:41] CB Axel: Eating fish is healthier for the humans. Not so much for the fish.
[13:42] herman Bergson: Interesting observation CB.....but I wonder
[13:42] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): they are animals too
[13:42] herman Bergson: There were nuclear cruise missiles stationed in the Netherlands in the previous century....
[13:42] CB Axel: Anti-war protesters or fish, Beertje? :)
[13:42] herman Bergson: They generated a lot of national protest and demonstrations....
[13:42] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): anti-war
[13:43] CB Axel: :)
[13:43] herman Bergson: and eventually the missiles were removed...
[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): something at least
[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:43] herman Bergson: of course I can't claim with certainty that it was because of the protests (only)
[13:44] CB Axel: Ah, but those protests haven't made much difference here in the US.
[13:44] CB Axel: We're still constantly at war.
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): sadly yes
[13:45] herman Bergson: That's the case indeed, CB..... in that context Trump's decisions make at least a little sense
[13:45] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): what about tests on animals for testing medicines?
[13:45] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): is that allowed?
[13:46] CB Axel: Yeah. The only thing I agree with Trump on is that we need to get out of the Middle East. I just don't agree with how he's doing it.
[13:46] herman Bergson: Due to protests such experiments have been reduced a lot.
[13:46] CB Axel: I have a big problem with animal testing, but I do want to see better medicines.
[13:46] CB Axel: Those experiments have to be more humane, too.
[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): agree
[13:47] CB Axel: I think they do them a little better now.
[13:47] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): you are not sure CB?
[13:47] CB Axel: They are supposed to take animal comfort into consideration, but I'm not sure they always do.
[13:48] herman Bergson: I read about several companies in the US that had to close down because their use of animals for testing
[13:48] CB Axel: I wish we'd try treating our own species better. :(
[13:48] herman Bergson: I think the situation has at least improved somewhat for test animals, and the scale on which they are used
[13:49] CB Axel: Look at all those dead Chinese nationals dead in the lorry in Essex.
[13:49] herman Bergson: Yes...horrible...frozen to death
[13:50] CB Axel: Frozen or suffocated? I haven't heard the actual cause of death mentioned.
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ow
[13:50] herman Bergson: Well the truck had to go through a heat scanner, so they turned on the freezer to mask the body warmth...
[13:51] herman Bergson: and I guess they had forgotten to turn it off again after they were through the scanner
[13:51] CB Axel: So sad.
[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): :(
[13:52] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): so the driver knew what was in his truck?
[13:52] herman Bergson: It is just what I heard in the news
[13:53] herman Bergson: But when we focus on the animals today, I guess, we may conclude that step by step they become better of these days
[13:54] herman Bergson: and that we take more responsibility for them
[13:54] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:54] herman Bergson: A positive thought to begin the weekend with...:-)
[13:54] CB Axel: :)
[13:55] herman Bergson: So, thank you all again for your participation...
[13:55] CB Axel: Thank you, Herman.
[13:55] herman Bergson: Class dismissed....
[13:55] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): thank you Herman
[13:55] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): bye for now all
[13:55] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cu
[13:55] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:55] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): bye bejiita
[13:55] herman Bergson: Have a good time Bejiita
[13:56] CB Axel: I'll see you all in two weeks. :)
[13:56] CB Axel: Have a nice holiday, herman.
[13:56] herman Bergson: Ah yes.., dont forget....
[13:56] herman Bergson: vacation for you all next week ^_^
[13:56] CB Axel: Bye
[13:56] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes:)
[13:56] herman Bergson: Bye CB ^_^
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