According to Theodore Vitali, writing in the Journal Environmental Ethics, “Hunting for sport or pleasure is ethical…” Why? He then lists three reasons in his abstract to his article titled “Sport Hunting: Moral or Immoral?” (https://philpapers.org/rec/VITSHM-2 (Links to an external site.)) Here are his three claims for why sport hunting is moral:
(1) it does not violate any animal’s moral rights,
(2) it has as its primary object the exercise of human skills, which is a sufficient good to compensate for the evil that results from it, namely, the death of the animal, and,
(3) it contributes to the ecological system by directly participating in the balancing process of life and death upon which the ecosystem thrives, thus indirectly benefiting the human community. As such, hunting is not only a natural good, but also a moral good.
Here is a DNews video clip that presents some of the same arguments:LINK (Links to an external site.).
Here is a summary of Peter Singer’s moral philosophy regarding the need to change our views and treatment of animals. The video also discusses counter arguments to Singer:
LINK (Links to an external site.).
For this week’s discussion, please give your thoughts and moral perspective on either one of the following two sets of questions:
[1] After watching the videos about Sport Hunting and also about Peter Singer’s moral philosophy, do you accept the arguments or claims in favor of hunting for sport? Why or why not? If you do see hunting animals for sport as acceptable, how would you answer Peter Singer’s criticism that this makes you a speciesist? If don’t see it as acceptable, do you also agree with Peter Singer’s view on the equal consideration of the interests of all sentient beings in not being made to suffer? Have you, or someone you know, ever gone hunting to kill an animal for sport? What was it like to hunt and shoot the animal?
[2] New Jersey, among other states, as a serious problem with deer overpopulation. After watching the video on it, what solution do you see as the best and most morally acceptable one? No matter what solution we choose, are we being speciesist, as Singer uses the term, when we decide to reduce the deer population? Have you, or someone you know, while driving, ever hit a deer? What happened? How did the driver feel or react afterwards?
