Lesson plan
Predation problem
carries a killed American black duck The predation problem or predation argument concerns whether the harms experienced by animals through predation should be treated as a moral problem, and whether humans have any obligation to prevent or reduce them. The topic has been discussed mainly in animal ethics and environmental ethics, especially in relation to animal rights and wild animal suffering. Some critics have argued that an obligation to prevent predation is untenable or absurd, and have used it as a reductio ad absurdum against animal rights. Others have criticised intervention against predation as environmentally harmful. Animal ethicists and animal rights theorists have given different responses. Some reject the claim that animal rights imply an obligation to prevent predation, while others argue that predation is a harm that humans should try to avert where this can be done without causing greater harm. A further position is that intervention is not currently justified because of the risk of serious unintended harm, but may become possible with improved knowledge and technology.
Article summary
carries a killed American black duck The predation problem or predation argument concerns whether the harms experienced by animals through predation should be treated as a moral problem, and whether humans have any obligation to prevent or reduce them. The topic has been discussed mainly in animal ethics and environmental ethics, especially in relation to animal rights and wild animal suffering. Some critics have argued that an obligation to prevent predation is untenable or absurd, and have used it as a reductio ad absurdum against animal rights. Others have criticised intervention against predation as environmentally harmful. Animal ethicists and animal rights theorists have given different responses. Some reject the claim that animal rights imply an obligation to prevent predation, while others argue that predation is a harm that humans should try to avert where this can be done without causing greater harm. A further position is that intervention is not currently justified because of the risk of serious unintended harm, but may become possible with improved knowledge and technology.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.