Domestication, captivity, and anthropization of nature: Induced vulnerabilities as a basis for animal ethics

Abstract

Philosophers have often insisted on the full adaptation of nonhuman animals to their conditions of existence. This adaptation, however, fails when we establish relationships with them or intervene in their environment. Domestication, for example, shapes animals according to our needs. Reduction to captivity makes them dependent on our management and results in their loss of the ability to survive independently from us. Finally, the anthropization of environments threatens their survival as a species. Recognizing and addressing these anthropogenically induced vulnerabilities is an increasingly ethically urgent task. In particular, it allows us to: a) build a new approach to deal with animal ethics issues; b) provide justifications for specific obligations to different categories of animals; and c) mitigate the tension that exists between care for the individual and care for the species.