Response to Jake

Jake asked if it was morally acceptable to own another being. I think this is indeed very important and that we have been bumping over it heavily in class. Allow me to clarify before I begin that I am justifying the ownership of beings as they refer to animals. In no way do I make a defense of slavery or any other time of human bondage.

Now, in regards to animals, I do think it can be morally acceptable to own an animal. I believe we have touched upon the concerns that most people would have regarding care, treatment, etc. of said animal. The animal deserves respect and care just like that of any other being. I mean this in the very basic sense of the word because I believe you could retort here by saying slavery would then be justified. But slavery is a sort of subjection of the human soul and a degradation of existence. I do not think you can aptly compare the two here.

But, I believe that if the animal is cared for with the utmost of respect, then you start to ascend to a mutual existence instead of ownership. For example, I own a small robo-dwarf hamster. He is just over two months old and he's a lot of fun. Left to his own devices, he may have been killed by now. He may have stayed in the pet store until he died from sickness or loneliness. Or worse yet, he may have made his way into the hands of someone cruel. In this strange sense, it's as if I've rescued him. And as he grows, I continue to rescue him.

I provide his food, his home, safety, security, and anything else he will need to live out his three to four years of life. In the wild, it is likely that this highly intelligent rodent would not last long. But here, we have formed a mutual bond. My care for his company has caused us to reach a mutual understanding of sorts. And though he does try to escape once in awhile out of pure curiosity, he will not resist coming back into my hand and heading back into the cage.

In the same broader sense, many animals function in this way. I recall the YouTube clip that went viral a couple years back which showed a lion that was raised in captivity for many years of its life. After having lived in the wild for many years, the old caretaker returned and the animal 'attacked' him with love. If you haven't see this, then check it out.

So yes, I would assert ownership is acceptable, because I think it ultimately transcends that. It puts us back in touch with something we have lost: connections with other beings.

Question: Is animal ownership the key to ending animal cruelty?