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“If you are saying that the elephant can’t be a vegan because veganism is based on moral principles and the elephant cannot think morally in terms of justice, then I would suggest to you that you don’t know that but, more importantly, that you can’t really be serious because such a position would give silliness a very bad name.” Prof. Gary L. Francione, giving stupidity a very bad name. Here’s an idea, Gary. Show me the elephant who chooses not to be an herbivore and then I will think your comment less than stupid.
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While their herbivorous diet is not evidence of their moral judgements, elephants may choose to engage or not engage in other violent behavior based on some kind of moral beliefs. Based on what I know about elephants’ capacity for empathy, it seems likely that an elephant’s nonviolent behavior could result from the same kind of moral feelings that moves us to be kind to others.
Hi Jay,
I wouldn’t deny that some other animals, such as elephants perhaps, exhibit behaviors that should lead us to think that they have some sense of concern for others that goes beyond the sort of concern that all mammals (at least) show for their offspring. That is, it’s not implausible, on my view, that some nonhuman animals have a sort of proto-morality, as it were, according to which they make choices that are not determined solely by instinct or conditioned learning. However, I believe this is difficult subject about which to speak intelligently because I also believe that what we take to be moral reasoning and moral judgments in our own case have much more to do with biologically determined behaviors as well as unconscious motivations that are invisible to us. We are not as much in control of our own lives as our illusions would have us believe.
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