Multifactor Utilitarianism: The Argument For The Equality Of Animals

Multifactor Utilitarianism is a theory regarding the moral status of animals which states that when determining the moral status of animals, interests must be weighed. Depending on the strength of the interest compared to the interests of the other party is what determines the outcome. In this paper, I will motivate multifactor utilitarianism and how it is consistent with environmentalism. I will also present and motivate the Argument for the Equality of Animals, as well as present an objection to the argument. The Argument for the Equality of Animals is based on four premises. Premise one of the argument is: “Equality of individuals cannot be based on equality of ability.” Individuals all have different abilities, so testing their abilities …show more content…
Even though there is a strong case for the objection, the argument is still successful. The objection I raised was that certain abilities provide more for the community or larger group than others, and this should lead us to basing the equality of individuals off of the equality of ability. The reason that this objection does not work is because this premise bases itself on something that not even all humans have. Abilities vary between species, like the rabbit and the fish, but they also vary within species. Take for instance, if we as a human race decided to base equality off of ability. One of the abilities we test is running. To decide the result, we hold a race. Running in this race are a ninety-year-old man, a nine-year-old girl, and a twenty-seven-year-old Olympic runner. All three of the contestants are human beings, so the only variable they should have is their abilities, which is what equality will be based on. The Olympic runner easily wins the race, followed by the nine-year-old girl, and the ninety-year-old. If these were the outcomes and we as a human race were basing equality off of ability, depending on how the race was scored and where the bar was set, the three who were in the race would not all have the same equalities. This example can be used between every ability, because every person is different, with different abilities. If we were to accept …show more content…
The theory of multifactor utilitarianism is consistent with environmentalism. Multifactor utilitarianism requires the weighing of interests of individuals. Dramatic changes to the environment would alter the lives of the animals within the environment. The environment may not be a direct interest of the individual, but with the destruction of the environment could come the crippling of their life. Consider the polar bears in the Arctic Circle, which is melting at a rapid rate due to global warming. Global Warming can partially be attributed to the production of greenhouse gasses from the burning of fossil fuels. Humans have invested a lot into the production and usage of fossil fuels. New ways of producing energy have been developed so that fossil fuels can be made a thing of the past. These new green energy ways serve as a replacement for fossil fuels, making the interest of fossil fuels replaceable for humans. The melting of the Arctic Circle is destroying the home of the polar bears, and the species is going extinct. The interest in the preservation of the Arctic Circle becomes a critical interest of the polar bears. As I stated earlier, a lesser, replaceable interest cannot be given preference over a critical