Anmial ethics

In society, we traditionally distinguish between different species of animals (e.g. horses and cows) and within species (e.g. pet rabbits and laboratory rabbits), attribute different degrees of importance to animals' experiences of pain (e.g. dogs and pigs) and take varying degrees of responsibility for their welfare (e.g. wild vs. domesticated animals). In other words, we have different boundaries for what we think is okay to do with animals, which also affects legislation. But what are the reasons behind this, and are they well-founded? Animal ethics has its roots in philosophy and examines concepts and phenomena related to animals through questions such as: What is an ‘animal in itself’? Who can have rights, and what rights? What is ‘unnecessary’ suffering? Are animals citizens? It also examines which norms should apply to human-animal relations, and the responsibilities of humans. 

At THV, teaching is conducted with the aim of inspiring students to practise ethical reflection and discussion on different values and animal ethics issues. We offer

• animal ethics in the faculty's five bachelor's programmes,
• veterinary ethics in the veterinary and animal nursing programmes, 
• animal ethics in a stand-alone course (Environmental and Animal Ethics, 5 credits) at the NJ Faculty,
• food ethics in a master's course (Food Ethics, 7.5 credits) at the NJ Faculty, 
• animal ethics at doctoral level (Animal Ethics, 3 or 4.5 credits)
• and participation in a number of other courses, incl. research ethics courses at doctoral level.  

Animal ethics is often conducted in interdisciplinary projects where a current issue, e.g. farm animal welfare, sustainable food production or the responsibilities of animal health personnel, is analysed using various scientific disciplines. An ethical analysis can lay the foundation for a well-considered approach to handle the issue. This often takes place against a backdrop of mapping and analysing fundamental values, conceptual confusion and lines of argumentation surrounding the human-animal relationship. By examining the gaps between theoretical positions and proposed practices that often exist in, for example, legislation, policies or practices, ethics further contributes to increasing understanding of different arguments and positions, and thus to better dialogue in decision-making. 

Some examples of research areas:

• Ethical assessments by animal ethics committees 
• Moral stress among veterinarians and animal health personnel
• Ethical reasoning regarding the limits of over-treatment and euthanasia in veterinary medicine
• Veterinarians' knowledge of how to recognise animals that have been subjected to violence
• The role and responsibility of research in policy work within sustainable food production
• Ethical and economic values in assessing animal welfare in agriculture
• Insects as feed and food
• Fish as ‘the silent other’ – ethical aspects of fishing and aquaculture
• Wild animals’ ecosystem services by means of reintroduction and rewilding animal species