Spiegel compares animal
enslavement to human enslavement. Throughout the excerpt, Spiegel mentions
authors who justified slavery and even those who
believed that it was beneficial to those being enslaved and to society. Another arguments
for pro-slavery is that it provides for those who can’t provide for themselves
and that by nature some humans are believed to have acquired
characteristics that are ideal for slavery (strong bodies).
James Boswell argues that the slavery of African Americans saved them from death and it provided them with better opportunities to be happy. She discusses the viewpoint that the domestication of animals allowed them to be civilized and that life as a slave does more good than harm. She references Aristotle, who believed that those being enslaved should change their mindset of believing they are oppressed to being thankful (for being provided with a purpose and can be of use to their masters).
Spiegel explores how the exploitation of human rights relates to exploitation of animal rights by describing a visit to an egg factory and revealed that chickens were being mistreated. She describes the chicken coops were rarely cleaned and living spaces were tight and cramped. In an interview, the worker that tends to the chickens suggests that the chickens are safe from predators and are fed well and are allowed to stretch. Through Spiegel’s investigation the chickens are not allowed to mate and are not provided with ample space to move however the workers main focus is to gather eggs and make profit.
Philip Slater, the author of The Pursuit of Loneliness: American Culture, defines the “The Toilet Assumption” as dealing with social problems such as slavery by denying their existence and removing these complications from our vision. Slater adds, that in the end, when visiting zoos we can observe the animals and believe that the habitats they are caged in are accurate replicas of their natural environment in the wild we can also view the security they gain from being cages in zoos as an equal tradeoff to the freedom they have lost.
Spiegel illustrates how the captivity of animals mirrors the enslavement of African Americans. Spiegel is the voice of the counter argument, and pulls sources from multiple writings from various times to add to a collective opposition. By simply stating facts and never her own opinions, she forces her readers to come to their own conclusions.
James Boswell argues that the slavery of African Americans saved them from death and it provided them with better opportunities to be happy. She discusses the viewpoint that the domestication of animals allowed them to be civilized and that life as a slave does more good than harm. She references Aristotle, who believed that those being enslaved should change their mindset of believing they are oppressed to being thankful (for being provided with a purpose and can be of use to their masters).
Spiegel explores how the exploitation of human rights relates to exploitation of animal rights by describing a visit to an egg factory and revealed that chickens were being mistreated. She describes the chicken coops were rarely cleaned and living spaces were tight and cramped. In an interview, the worker that tends to the chickens suggests that the chickens are safe from predators and are fed well and are allowed to stretch. Through Spiegel’s investigation the chickens are not allowed to mate and are not provided with ample space to move however the workers main focus is to gather eggs and make profit.
Philip Slater, the author of The Pursuit of Loneliness: American Culture, defines the “The Toilet Assumption” as dealing with social problems such as slavery by denying their existence and removing these complications from our vision. Slater adds, that in the end, when visiting zoos we can observe the animals and believe that the habitats they are caged in are accurate replicas of their natural environment in the wild we can also view the security they gain from being cages in zoos as an equal tradeoff to the freedom they have lost.
Spiegel illustrates how the captivity of animals mirrors the enslavement of African Americans. Spiegel is the voice of the counter argument, and pulls sources from multiple writings from various times to add to a collective opposition. By simply stating facts and never her own opinions, she forces her readers to come to their own conclusions.
By: Brandon Tam & Alexis Yup
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