Philosophy Speaker Series - Gary Varner (Texas A&M University)

Title: A Utilitarian Perspective on Companion Animals

Abstract

In this presentation, I first introduce the version of utilitarianism that I endorse: the Harean, two-level utilitarianism that I elaborated and defended at length in *Personhood, Ethics, and Animal Cognition: Situating Animals in Hare’s Two-Level Utilitarianism* (Oxford University Press, 2012). I then introduce stipulative definitions of the terms “companion animal,” “domesticated partner,” and “mere pet” that I gave in an essay in an anthology titled *Ethics for Everyday* (McGraw-Hill 2002). I then argue that the institution of pet-keeping is justifiable, but that the justification is stronger (at least “other things equal”) for companion animals than for mere pets, and that it is still stronger (at least “other things equal”) for domesticated partners than for companion animals. Finally, I use the two-level utilitarian framework that I developed in my 2012 book to categorize various strategies for improving our relationships with pets.