Animal disenhancement
Animal disenhancement (or diminishment)[1] is the practice of selectively breeding or genetically engineering animals to reduce their capacities.[2] A prominent example is breeding genetically blind chickens,[1][2][3][4] which tend to peck their peers less than sighted chickens.[5] Animal ethicists have argued that farming diminished animals is morally preferable to farming present-day breeds if their lives contain less suffering. However, they have disagreed as to whether diminished animals' lives do contain less suffering.[1][2]
Animal disenhancement can be seen as a spectrum, at the end of which lie animal microencephalic lumps (also microcephalic,[6] AMLs).[1] AMLs are hypothetical non-sentient animals that humans might some day create. AMLs would have such small brains that they would lack the cognitive capacity to feel pain or have interests.[7]
See also[edit]
- Cellular agriculture, the production of animal tissue from cells rather than living animals.
- Cultured meat, an instance of cellular agriculture.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Schultz-Bergin, Marcus (2017). "The Dignity of Diminished Animals: Species Norms and Engineering to Improve Welfare". Ethical Theory and Moral Practice. 20 (4): 843–856. doi:10.1007/s10677-017-9828-8. ISSN 1386-2820. S2CID 149433458.
- ^ a b c Thompson, Paul B. (2008-12-01). "The Opposite of Human Enhancement: Nanotechnology and the Blind Chicken Problem". NanoEthics. 2 (3): 305–316. doi:10.1007/s11569-008-0052-9. ISSN 1871-4765. S2CID 143982071.
- ^ Ali, AHMED; Cheng, KIMBERLY M. (1985-05-01). "Early Egg Production in Genetically Blind (rc/rc) Chickens in Comparison with Sighted (Rc+/rc) Controls". Poultry Science. 64 (5): 789–794. doi:10.3382/ps.0640789. ISSN 0032-5791. PMID 4001066.
- ^ Collins, Sophie; Forkman, Björn; Kristensen, Helle H.; Sandøe, Peter; Hocking, Paul M. (2011-08-01). "Investigating the importance of vision in poultry: Comparing the behaviour of blind and sighted chickens". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 133 (1): 60–69. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2011.04.013. ISSN 0168-1591.
- ^ SANDØE, PETER; HOCKING, PAUL M.; FÖRKMAN, BJORN; HALDANE, KIRSTY; KRISTENSEN, HELLE H.; PALMER, CLARE (2014). "The Blind Hens' Challenge: Does It Undermine the View That Only Welfare Matters in Our Dealings with Animals?". Environmental Values. 23 (6): 727–742. doi:10.3197/096327114X13947900181950. ISSN 0963-2719. JSTOR 43695197.
- ^ Cooper, David E. (1998), Holland, Alan; Johnson, Andrew (eds.), "Intervention, humility and animal integrity", Animal Biotechnology and Ethics, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 145–155, doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-5783-8_11, ISBN 978-1-4615-5783-8, retrieved 2021-02-03
- ^ Ortiz, Sara Elizabeth Gavrell (2004). "Beyond Welfare: Animal Integrity, Animal Dignity, and Genetic Engineering". Ethics and the Environment. 9 (1): 94–120. doi:10.2979/ETE.2004.9.1.94. ISSN 1085-6633. JSTOR 40339079.
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