Anthropomorphism - The practice of attributing human
emotions to other animals. Anyone who has done much reading on animal
rights has come across this term. It has been used throughout history as
an anti-animal rights argument. Scientists have suggested that animals
do not feel emotion and that humans project their own emotions on to
animals. Taken to an extreme, this has been used to justify
extraordinary abuse. The renowned 17th century philosopher, Descartes,
held that dogs do not even feel physical pain. He held that their
howling in what seemed like agony was only instinctive noise-letting.
Thus he condoned operations on fully conscious dogs, their limbs nailed
to tabletops. He said that anyone who complained was indulging in
anthropomorphism.
We evolved from animals. It is unlikely that emotions
emerged suddenly at some point in the evolutionary chain. Thankfully,
there is now a huge body of work documenting animal emotion. Books such
as When Elephants Weep, by Susan McCarthy and Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson,
discuss the subject in thorough, very touching detail. Of course, anyone
who has ever been greeted by their dog after being away for the day,
does not need a book to convince them that animals have emotions.
However, it is always useful for an activist to be thoroughly armed with
more than personal anecdotal evidence. Thus I highly recommend reading
the above-mentioned book or at least giving it a perusal.
I mention arming ourselves with information. Let us make
sure that we never arm our opponents. Throughout history, the most
consistent point used against animals, has been that the fight for their
rights is based on anthropomorphism. We know that animals have the need
and right to live cage-free, without torture -- and most fundamentally,
the right to live. We weaken crucial arguments and make light of their
rights when we pollute our arguments with true anthropomorphism.
A recent news report stated that 60 million Americans
give pets a special meal on the pet's birthday. Yet only 10-20 million
Americans are vegetarian. This statistic alone is enough to demonstrate
the lack of correlation between concern for animal rights and the
celebration of an animal's birthday. Humans invented the calendar and
thus the birthday celebration. To suggest that this celebration is
important to an animal is to indulge in the anthropomorphism of which
animal rights activists are often accused.
I recently read a beautiful piece about a laboratory
monkey, in which this mistake was made. I believe that the suggestion
that the monkey was concerned about her birthday took an otherwise
strong piece and opened it up for ridicule. Ridicule is a vehement
weapon, one that we must not hand our opponents. Thus I am writing to
suggest that we keep our arguments strong and intelligent, in the style
of our mentors such as Peter Singer and Ingrid Newkirk. To overindulge
in emotionalism and particularly in true anthropomorphism is to
undermine their work and ours.
Go on to
Thanksgiving Vigil
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