Seeing the Animal: On the Ethical Implications of De-animalization in Intensive Animal Production Systems

Abstract

This article discusses the notion that the invisibility of the animalness of the animal constitutes a fundamental obstacle to change within current production systems. It is discussed whether housing animals in environments that resemble natural habitats could lead to a re-animalization of the animals, a higher appreciation of their moral significance, and thereby higher standards of animal welfare. The basic claim is that experiencing the animals in their evolutionary and environmental context would make it harder to objectify animals as mere bioreactors and production systems. It is argued that the historic objectification of animals within intensive animal production can only be reversed if animals are given the chance to express themselves as they are and not as we see them through the tunnel visions of economy and quantifiable welfare assessment parameters.

The Quantified Animal: Precision Livestock Farming and the Ethical Implications of Objectification

“…Knowing is also conceived of as a social and political process where the recipient of care is not an 'object to be known' but a sentient being who we listen to and who we try to understand and communicate with (Sevenhuijsen 1998). This approach contrasts to an extent with those that have placed emphasis on human's practical wisdom or phronesis (Aristotle 1976;in Harfeld et al 2016), implying that humans need to experience communality between oneself and the ecological environment in order to make sound judgements regarding the treatment of animals.…”

“…The ethical problem is that the integrity or species typical norm of living beings (or species) is compromised when they are mainly understood as elements of a system (Thompson 2008b). They now become "living parts of a machinery" (Harfeld et al 2016). In this sense, reductionism not only refers to the individual elements of a system, but also to their mutual relations.…”

“…Discussions in animal ethics emphasise the transformative effects of an intensive animal husbandry system where production animals become an "absent referent" (Adams 1990) on people's moral radar, because of the system's purpose of a maximum yield and growth rate. The reductionist process of "de-animalisation" (Harfeld et al 2016) indicates that production animals are taken out of their own evolutionary and environmental context. People involved in the system thereby reduce production animals to a 'production unit' or an artefact.…”

The Pedigree Dog Breeding Debate in Ethics and Practice: Beyond Welfare Arguments

“…The notion 'animal welfare' has many different interpretations, some focussing on negative and others on positive welfare, some focused on physical health and others including emotional well-being, and some measuring a specific moment in time, while others are measured over the animal's whole lifespan and are broadly perceived as 'the good life for animals' (Harfeld et al 2016). In general, three different views on animal welfare have been distinguished, primarily in the context of farm animal welfare (Fraser 2003).…”

“…The animal then completely coincides with its status as instrument; the cow becomes a milking machine and the chihuahua an accessory. Another term that has been used for the process in which animals in intensive husbandry conditions become 'living parts of machinery' by the complete focus on yield and growth rate is 'de-animalisation' (Harfeld et al 2016). By taking an animal out of its own evolutionary and environmental context and regarding it merely as a 'production unit' we are in a sense taking away their animalness (Harfeld et al 2016).…”