Table Of ContentANIMAL ETHICS IN THE WILD
Animals, like humans, suffer and die from natural causes. This is
particularly true of animals living in the wild, given their high
exposure to, and low capacity to cope with, harmful natural pro-
cesses. Most wild animals likely have short lives, full of suffering,
usually ending in terrible deaths. This book argues that on the
assumption that we have reasons to assist others in need, we should
intervene in nature to prevent or reduce the harms wild animals
suffer, provided that it is feasible and that the expected result is
positive overall. It is of the utmost importance that academics from
differentdisciplinesaswellasanimaladvocatesbegintoconfrontthis
issue. The more people concerned with wild animal suffering, the
more probable it is that safe and effective solutions to the plight of
wild animals willbe implemented inthe future.
isAssistantProfessorofAppliedEthicsattheComplutense
University of Madrid and a founding member of the Centre for
Animal Ethics at Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona. She is the
author of numerous articles and book chapters on wild animal
suffering.
ANIMAL ETHICS IN
THE WILD
ff
Wild Animal Su ering and Intervention in Nature
CATIA FARIA
ComplutenseUniversityofMadrid
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Contents
List of Tables page vii
Acknowledgments viii
Introduction: Helping Animals
Moral Considerability
. MoralConsiderabilityExplained
. NonhumanWell-Being
. EqualConsideration
. TheBadnessofDeath
Speciesism
. TheConceptofSpeciesism
. SpeciesismandAnthropocentrism
. Personism
. Conclusion
Wild Animal Suffering
. PopulationDynamicsandWildAnimalSuffering
. NaturalHarmsofLifeintheWild
. AMinimalCaseforIntervention
Perversity and Futility
. ObjectionstoIntervention:ATaxonomy
. ThePerversityObjection
. TheFutilityObjection
Jeopardy
. HolisticObjections
. BiocentricObjections
. TheAppealtothe“Natural”
Relationality
. Palmer’sContextualApproach
. DonaldsonandKymlicka’sSovereigntyArgument
v
vi Contents
Priority
. TheExclusionApproach
. TheDeflationApproach
. ThePerfectionistApproach
. DomesticatedAnimalsFirst
Tractability
. TractabilityandFeasibility
. Neglectedness
Conclusion
References
Index
Tables
. Taxonomy of objections against intervention page
vii
Acknowledgments
I see this book as a collective endeavor. I would like to acknowledge the
extraordinary encouragement,guidance, and supportI have receivedfrom
many people over the years. In particular, I express my gratitude to Núria
Almiron, Paula Casal, and all my fellows at the UPF-Centre for Animal
Ethics; and to Alexandra Abranches, João Rosas, and the rest of the
colleagues who welcomed me at the Centre for Ethics, Politics and
Society at the University of Minho. Special thanks are due to my friend,
regular coauthor, and time traveler Eze Paez, who has accompanied me
through the peaks and troughs of academia, of life, and of my own mind.
I am also deeply grateful to Oscar Horta, my mentor and friend, for his
help, vision, and commitment to what matters the most.
Manythanksaredueaswelltomychosenfamily,César,Marta,Momo,
Nenna, and Rebk, without whose affective and social scaffolding I would
simply not be alive today – Momo, in particular, brought beauty, energy,
and the magic of connection to an otherwise rather dull existence; to my
dear parents, Cândida and Albino, for their example of hard work, con-
tinuous support, and affection, and also for instilling in me, from a very
youngage,thequestforequalityandsocialjustice;tomysisterJoana,who
hastakenonthedifficulttaskoftakingcareofallofus,forherbrillianceof
mind and practical ability to solve problems in all dimensions of life; and
to Aline, Fabiola, and Kris for their steady, genuine friendship. I am also
forever indebted to Pablo (who made me happy), without whose joy this
book would not have been started and, certainly, not finished. I further
express my admiration and gratitude to all the people standing up for
nonhuman animals within and outside academia and to all the philosop-
hers who came before me.
Previous drafts of this book have greatly benefited from philosophical
exchanges with multiple people, including Jeff McMahan, Alasdair
Cochrane, Genoveva Martí, Peter Vallentyne, Kasper Lippert-Rasmussuen,
SerenaOlsaretti,AndrewWilliams,andClarePalmer.Iamgratefultoallof
viii
Acknowledgments ix
them.Ialsothanktwoanonymousreviewersfortheirhelpfulcommentsand
forallowing meto clarifya numberofproblems,which,hadtheynot been
addressed,wouldhavedonelittlejusticetothesubject.
I would like to thank my editor at Cambridge University Press, Hilary
Gaskin,forherconsistentsupport,professionalism,andkindness,andalso
foracceptingthedelaysresultingfromtwoCOVID-sickleaves.Nature
is cruel, indeed. Or so this book argues.
I further thank Ruth Montiel Arias for providing us with one of her
many wonderful photos to illustrate the cover of this book, and Victor
Crespo for his help with the index.
Final thanks are due to Gerald, a decisive temporal part of my favorite
four-dimensional object.
The research that led to this book received financial support from the
Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Grant: SFRH/BPD/
/.
