Thoughts on "Science, Ethics, and Moral Status"

Even though we began the discussion on this article yesterday, I feel that it is important to reflect about the reading itself before reflecting on the class discussion. Harlan B. Miller's Science, Ethics, and Moral Status discusses two important issues: ethics itself and whether non humans, animals, have a moral status or not. Miller's setup of this essay allows readers to have an introduction to ethics before discussing the question: at what level do non humans have a moral status.


Through reading this article, I realized that animals do have a moral status but only to an extent. Yes, animals have certain characteristics of one who has a moral status, but they are not as complex as the characteristics that humans have. Two important terms that need to be discussed when mentioning this are moral agent and moral patients. Humans are moral agents; they are able to decipher on their own what is right and what is wrong. However, non humans are moral patients; they need moral agents to help them decipher what is right and wrong. There perception of right and wrong is greatly influenced by their moral agents. Another important topic that must be discussed is the groups that living things fit into.

Miller uses three groups: Group A, Group B, and Group C to show the capabilities of each group's moral status. Group A is classified as the moral agents. They are able to have a moral sense of the world. From knowing this category, it shows me that they are the "geniuses" of the moral status spectrum; they have the best understanding of what moral status is. Group B consists of the moral patients--the non humans. They are the ones that cannot think of what is right and wrong on their own. Lastly, Group C has no moral abilities. They consists of cultures, laws, etc.

Through knowing all of this, it makes it clear in my mind that non humans do not have much power when it comes to moral status. They are being controlled by the humans around them. Their owners teach them what is right and wrong by continually asking them to do a task and through getting rewards.

I look forward to discussing this tomorrow more in depth. This topic intrigues me more than I thought it would and will open my eyes to a new moral view.