Francione vs. Friedrich

Several years ago I wrote a series of posts countering Gary Francione's opposition to animal welfare legislation (Should Humane Farm Reform Be Opposed and The Thirsty Cow, for example).  The point I made, in various ways, is that someone who recognizes animals as having rights ought to support humane reforms.  Last week I made the argument again (The Rights Argument for Regulation) and now I see

The Rights Argument for Regulation

After recently having a lively debate with someone about the ethics of regulating the farm animal industry, I found myself trying to set up my argument formally (in my mind).  So why not share?

(1) Most farm animals live in abysmal conditions and die miserable deaths.

(2) Some regulations do/would offer significant improvement to the lives of farm animals (e.g. regulations that improve the

Judy Nicastro's Abortion at 23 Weeks

This past week democrats in Texas managed to stave off a bill that would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks, thanks to a filibuster by Wendy Davis and a noisy gallery of abortion rights advocates.  A few days earlier, there was an editorial in the New York Times week in review section called "My Abortion at 23 Weeks".  I thought Wendy Davis should have read it during her filibuster.  Rarely does

The Adoption Radicals

I've been reading (for the second time, actually), Adoption Matters: Philosophical and Feminist Essays (ed. by Sally Haslanger and Charlotte Witt).  I find myself in violent disagreement with practically every author in the volume.  The theme of one article after another is that to properly value and respect families created through adoption, we must reduce the significance of biological

Self Ownership

Do we own ourselves?  I'm thinking about the concept because it facilitates a certain model of the parent-child relationship.  On that model, parents hold their children in trust, readying them for the self-ownership they'll attain upon majority.  That's an attractive view in some ways, but ... self-ownership?  What?

The idea that persons are self-owners is a cornerstone of libertarian

The Predation Defense

Lately I've been torturing my family with the question: what would the world be like if all animals were herbivores?  I'm pretty sure the answer is: not as good.  Evolving to hunt makes a species develop all sorts of perceptual and cognitive strengths, and likewise, evolving as another species' prey.  I can't see how a world filled with herbivores, and only herbivores, could have minds as

Why aren't you a vegan? (results)

HERE are the results of my survey.  88 people took the survey.  I asked--

This survey is aimed at people who are not vegans. You qualify as "not
a vegan" if you deliberately consume some or all animal products (meat,
eggs, milk, cheese, fish, oysters, clams, etc.)

Which of the following statements capture your reason(s) for not being a
vegan? Select ALL of the answers that express your