Skepticism, Not Denialism
Climate change skepticism, or denialism? An excellent video that highlights the lack of reliable sources behind claims made by those who deny the reality of anthropogenic global warming.
Thanks to fellow skeptic Jason Ball for the link.
Ayn Rand’s Thought: Living and Dead
For those interested in Randian scholarship, the most recent issue of Cato Unbound presents a critical discussion of Rand’s moral and political ideas between four philosophers with different views of her work and its significance. Of particular interest from a critical perspective is Roderick Long’s response essay.
Animals, Morality, and Marginal Cases
My recent post on animal rights prompted some interesting discussions regarding the moral status of nonhuman animals.
John Humphreys offered some thoughtful responses to my presentation of the argument in favour of extending the right not to be property to sentient animals, and attempted a moral defence of using animals for our food, clothing, and entertainment. I shall address his arguments here.
Drawing on the work of Gary Francione, I presented the example of a man torturing a stray dog for pleasure. I argued that as our use of animals for food, clothing, and entertainment—practices that involve inflicting horrific suffering—cannot be considered ‘necessary’ in any way, our choices to eat animals, wear them, and exhibit them for our enjoyment are morally inconsistent with our supposed belief that animals should not be subject to ‘unnecessary suffering’.
Rights for Animals?
Most people dismiss the notion that animals have moral rights as absurd. But should we be so quick to ridicule the idea?
In his influential book Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or the Dog?, Gary Francione argues convincingly that our moral intuitions about animals logically require that they should have one right: the right not to be property. As a basis for this argument, he presents the following imaginary scenario:
Walking down the street one day, you encounter a man blowtorching the leg of a stray dog. Distressed at the pain being inflicted on the dog, you ask the man why he is torturing the animal. He replies that he enjoys inflicting pain on dogs and derives great pleasure from the experience.
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Catallaxy Files- Open Forum: February 11, 2012 February 10, 2012 Sinclair Davidson
- Not all recessions are caused by the Fed February 10, 2012More middle of the night blogging. My economics is classical. The almost perfect overlay of my own book can be found in a series of notes taken by Nicholas Kaldor at the LSE in 1927-29 from lectures delivered by the great American economist, Allyn Young. These notes were only published around a decade ago but [...]Steve Kates
- Where’s Romney? February 10, 2012It is quite extraordinary to watch the American political process up close. Now, I admit I have been busy and I don’t watch much of the television and do not read a lot of the press. But before I arrived the thing I did want to do was see more of Mitt Romney since from [...]Steve Kates
- inCISe
- More on PHI rebate means test February 10, 2012When I wrote in Incise yesterday, ‘Rebate should not be means tested,’ I did not expect events to move quite as quickly as they have. The government seems confident it has the numbers to get the means test through. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rob Oakshott and Andrew Wilkie have indeed swallowed the government’s nonsensical arguments, but it will be interestin […]Robert Carling
- Quiggin versus Carling and Kirchner February 9, 2012John Quiggin accuses Robert Carling and I of ‘an appalling breach of elementary standards of research’ for not acknowledging that Alberto Alesina’s work on the effectiveness of fiscal stimulus and consolidations is ‘highly controversial.’ In fact, we referenced Alesina’s work precisely because it has featured so prominently in public debate, including in the […]Stephen Kirchner
- Police going too far February 9, 2012According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, police are lecturing parents for letting their children walk to the shops or catch a bus on their own, with senior police saying such incidents will be reported to the Department of Community Services (DOCs) if a child is considered at risk. But when is a child ‘at risk’? One mother was told it was inappr […]Sara Hudson
- More on PHI rebate means test February 10, 2012
- IPA news
- Let European dogs lie February 9, 2012Australians will be surprised to learn that, apparently, the federal government now has responsibility to help the city of...
- It's time to bring back the thrift February 9, 2012Ted Baillieu plans to shave 3600 jobs from Victoria's bloated public service. The state of Wisconsin in the US, with a...
- We'll huff, we'll puff, we'll blow the budget into surplus February 8, 2012Bill Clinton famously said, "It's the economy, stupid". So it is. Unsuccessful politicians might be inclined to argue,...
- Let European dogs lie February 9, 2012
