Anna Bijelic

University Honors with Honors in Philosophy and Religion

Major: Philosophy and Religion Minor: International Affairs

Supervisor: Candace Gauthier, Philosophy and Religion

A Study on the Moral Status of Animals

Non-human animals have provided us with knowledge, food, and companionship for as long as history has been recorded. However, the relationship has not always been reciprocal. In this thesis, I explored the moral reasons for how humans have treated animals in the past, as well as established a higher moral ground for non-humans today. In pursuing a greater concern for all sentient animals, I drew on the philosophies of Peter Singer and John Stuart Mill related to the basis of suffering. For animals of higher mental capacity, including hominids, cetaceans, and elephants, I developed a criterion of “personhood” as identified by Immanuel Kant and utilized his principle of humanity to establish an intellect-based argument for greater freedom and rights.