Bonnie Steinbock
Encyclopedia
Bonnie Steinbock is a professor
of philosophy
at the University at Albany
and a specialist in bioethics
who has written on topics such as abortion
and (in one article) animal rights
. Questions from her examinations have appeared in the "Education Life" section of the New York Times. Steinbock received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
. She is a fellow of the Hastings Center
, an independent bioethics research institution.
's view that there is no essential difference between the pain of non-human animals and that of human beings, and also differs from William Baxter
's view that animals have no moral consideration on their own whatsoever.
Also, she argues that there are morally good reasons for taking our own species as morally special, and thus the interests of non-human animals in relation to pain are not as important as those of human beings—though she admits those interests to be existent.
Furthermore, Steinbock affirms speciesism
. For her, humans are more important than non-human animals, though non-human animals, in their own right, have moral status because they have interests of their own. Beings without interests of their own (e.g., plants, wilderness areas, species, works of art, embryos) do not have moral status, but may have moral value, if there are moral reasons to protect or preserve them. These reasons do not stem from their interests, since they do not have any interests of their own, and so are not "golden-rule type" reasons, but may be morally very important.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University at Albany
University at Albany, The State University of New York
The State University of New York at Albany, also known as University at Albany, State University of New York, SUNY Albany or simply UAlbany, is a public university located in Albany, Guilderland, and East Greenbush, New York, United States; is the senior campus of the State University of New York ...
and a specialist in bioethics
Bioethics
Bioethics is the study of controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy....
who has written on topics such as abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and (in one article) animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
. Questions from her examinations have appeared in the "Education Life" section of the New York Times. Steinbock received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. She is a fellow of the Hastings Center
Hastings Center
The Hastings Center, founded in 1969, is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit bioethics research institute based in the United States. It is dedicated to the examination of essential questions in health care, biotechnology, and the environment...
, an independent bioethics research institution.
Views on animal pain
According to Steinbock, the pain of animals is a morally relevant consideration but is not morally decisive. This differs from Peter SingerPeter Singer
Peter Albert David Singer is an Australian philosopher who is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne...
's view that there is no essential difference between the pain of non-human animals and that of human beings, and also differs from William Baxter
William Baxter (law professor)
William Francis Baxter, Jr. was a law professor at Stanford University. His specialty was antitrust law.-Antitrust Law:...
's view that animals have no moral consideration on their own whatsoever.
Also, she argues that there are morally good reasons for taking our own species as morally special, and thus the interests of non-human animals in relation to pain are not as important as those of human beings—though she admits those interests to be existent.
Furthermore, Steinbock affirms speciesism
Speciesism
Speciesism is the assigning of different values or rights to beings on the basis of their species membership. The term was created by British psychologist Richard D...
. For her, humans are more important than non-human animals, though non-human animals, in their own right, have moral status because they have interests of their own. Beings without interests of their own (e.g., plants, wilderness areas, species, works of art, embryos) do not have moral status, but may have moral value, if there are moral reasons to protect or preserve them. These reasons do not stem from their interests, since they do not have any interests of their own, and so are not "golden-rule type" reasons, but may be morally very important.