How Should We Treat Animals? A Confucian Reflection

Contrary to the views proposed by modern animal rights scholars, this essay reconstructs the Confucian argument for the moral defensibility of the Confucian ritual use of animals by providing an expository analysis of classical Confucian literature. The argument is developed by focusing on the issue...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Dao : a journal of comparative philosophy 2010-03, Vol.9 (1), p.79-96
Main Author: Fan, Ruiping
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
American literature
Animal rights movement
Animal sciences
Animals
Chinese
Confucius (551-479 BC)
Education
Ethics
Leopold, Aldo (1886-1948)
Non-Western Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy of Religion
Religious Studies
Rituals
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Summary:Contrary to the views proposed by modern animal rights scholars, this essay reconstructs the Confucian argument for the moral defensibility of the Confucian ritual use of animals by providing an expository analysis of classical Confucian literature. The argument is developed by focusing on the issue of the sacrificial use of animals in the Confucian tradition. While animals are treated according to certain regulations and restrictions, they are not spared from being offered as sacrifices. An essential component of Confucian virtues, reverence, requires showing deep respect to Heaven, gods, spirits, and humans but not to animals. If Confucians change the rituals in ways that spare animals, they would fail to show the depth of reverence to gods, spirits, and humans that they should.
ISSN:1540-3009
1569-7274
DOI:10.1007/s11712-009-9144-7