I Don't Understand The Notion That Modern

Can We Really Believe That We Are Living A Good Life, An Ethically Decent Life If We Don't Do Anything Serious To Help Reduce Poverty Around The World And Help Save The Lives Of Children Or Adults Who Are Likely To Die If We Don't Increase The Amount Of Aid We Are Giving.

If Evolution Is A Struggle For Survival, Why Hasn't It Ruthlessly Eliminated Altruists, Who Seem To Increase Another's Prospects Of Survival At The Cost Of Their Own?

My Aim Is To Advocate That We Make This Mental Switch In Respect Of Our Attitudes And Practices Towards A Very Large Group Of Beings: Members Of Species Other Than Our Own - Or, As We Popularly Though Misleadingly Call Them, Animals. In Other Words, I Am Urging That We Extend To Other Species The Basic Principle Of Equality That Most Of Us Recognize Should Be Extended To All Members Of Our Own Species.

Suppose I Grant That Pigs And Dogs Are Self-aware To Some Degree, And Do Have Thoughts About Things In The Future. That Would Provide Some Reason For Thinking It Intrinsically Wrong To Kill Them - Not Absolutely Wrong, But Perhaps Quite A Serious Wrong. Still, There Are Other Animals - Chickens Maybe, Or Fish - Who Can Feel Pain But Don't Have Any Self-awareness Or Capacity For Thinking About The Future. For Those Animals, You Haven't Given Me Any Reason Why Painless Killing Would Be Wrong, If Other Animals Take Their Place And Lead An Equally Good Life.

The Prescription Of The Equality Of Human Beings Is Not A Description Of An Alleged Actual Equality Among Humans: It Is A Prescription Of How We Should Treat Human Beings.