UNIVERSITY STUDIES 420
Animal and Human Welfare: Medical, Moral and Social Connections
Fall 2002
 
For Instructions on Group Projects, Click Here
 
Instructor: John Nolt, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Philosophy John C. New, Jr., DVM, MPH, Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
Office: 818 McClung Tower A205 Veterinary Teaching Hospital
Office Hours: 9-10 MWF, and by appt. Call 974-5576 and ask for Department secretary. She will schedule appointments.
Phone: 974-7218 974-5576
E-mail: nolt@utk.edu jnew@utk.edu
Web site: web.utk.edu/~nolt —
Description: This multidisciplinary course explores the medical, moral and social aspects of animal-human interactions. The course examines perspectives on the ethical treatment of animals; the benefits and risks of humans’ relationships with companion animals; the relationship between animal abuse and interpersonal violence; and the costs and consequences of using animals as resources. By exploring the interdependence of humans and animals, we will consider the argument that fostering human welfare requires compassion and justice for animals as well as for humans.

Rationale: Despite the growth of the animal rights movement, the widespread abuse of animals persists, and the links between cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence are often ignored, with tragic consequences for both animals and people. This course highlights these connections, examining the complexities of humans’ relationships with animals through the lens of diverse disciplinary perspectives.

Textbooks:

Tom Regan, The Case for Animal Rights, Univ. of California Press, 1983

Peter Singer, Animal Liberation, Avon Books, 1990

Grades

Grades will be based on the following:
Three analytical essays

Group project 30%
Class participation/attendance 5%

Analytical essays: Essay topics will be handed out in advance for each section of the course.

Group project: Group projects consist of 15 hours of animal welfare-related community service by each member of the group, a substantial written report jointly authored by the group, and a class presentation near the end of the semester. Individual work within the group will be evaluated both by the group and by the instructors. Through attendance is important at all times, it is crucial when your classmates are giving their presentations.

Class Participation/Attendance: Class attendance is required. You are expected to arrive promptly at class meetings prepared to discuss the assigned readings for the week. An attendance "sign-up" sheet will be circulated during the first five minutes of class.

Course Calendar
 
Date Instructor Reading Topic
8/22 John New, 

John Nolt

 — Mechanics of the course, 

Introduction to Ethics
8/27 John Nolt A.J. Ayer, The Problem of Knowledge: Analysis and Justification of Knowledge about Other Minds [online]; 

Regan, Chapter 1

 Animal minds, animal experience
8/29 John Nolt Singer, Chapter 1 The Principle of Equality
9/3 John Nolt Singer, Chapters 2 and 3 Animal Research, Factory Farms
9/5 John Nolt Singer, Chapter 4 Vegetarianism
9/10 John Nolt Singer, Chapters 5 and 6 Speciesism
9/12 John Nolt Regan, Chapters 3 and 6 Animal Welfare, Critique of Singer
9/17 John Nolt Regan, Chapters 7-8 Justice, Equality and Rights
9/19 John Nolt Regan, Chapter 9 Implications of Rights View
9/24 Guest Lecture: Elizabeth Strand  Serpell, "Guest Editors Introduction: Animals in children's lives"; Melson, "The Role of the Companion Animals in Human Development" Children and Pets
9/26 John Nolt Mary Anne Warren, "A Critique of Regan's Animal Rights Theory," [online] Critique of Regan
10/1 John Nolt Albert Schweitzer, "Reverence for Life"; Aldo Leopold, "The Land Ethic" Biocentrism, Ecocentrism
10/3 John New "The origins of attachment theory," John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, Dev. Physch. 28(5), 759-775; "Humans and pets and attachment," Brit. J. Psychiat (1978), 1233 
550-5		 Theoretical Foundations of the Human-Companion Animal Bond
10/8 John New No readings. Handout will be provided. Demographics of Pet Ownership in the U.S. 

First Analytical Essay Due
10/10 FALL BREAK    
10/15 John New "Characteristics of shelter-relinquished animals and their owners compared with animals and their owners in U.S. pet-owning households," JAAWS 3(3), 2000, 179-201. The Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats
10/17 John New "Health benefits of pets for families," Pets and the Family, 191-202; "Health benefits of pets," NIH Technology Assessment Workshop, 1987, 1-6 The Benefits of Human-Companion Animal Interactions
10/22 Guest Lecture: 
Niall Shanks		   Animals and science
10/24 John New "Attachment between people and their pets: Behavior problems of pets that arise from the relationship between pets and people," Interrelations Between People and Pets, Chapter 15, 271-294. Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy: Benefits and Risks
10/29 John New "The welfare of assistance and therapy animals: An ethical comment," Handbook of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice, Chapter 18, 415-431 Ethical Considerations and the Welfare of Companion Animals
10/31 Guest Lecture: 
Vicky Crosetti 		    Animal Shelters
11/5 Video presentation  For Digitized Videos click below:
H.A.B.I.T. (Humans-Animal Bond in Tennessee)

Partners in Independence

 Second Analytical Essay Due 
 
11/7 Guest Lecture: 
Neil Greenberg		   How Ethology Guides Our Decisions about Animal Welfare
11/12 Guest Lecture: 
 Dennis Geiser 		  "Animals and Pain" Pain in animals
11/14 Guest Lecture: 
Gordon Burghart		  Burghardt and Herzog, "Beyond Conspecifics," Bioscience.  CLICK HERE, to get to Neil Greeberg's website, then click on his Animal Behavior course and scroll down to Nov 14.  Click on Burghardt and Herzog.  Anthropomorphism
11/19 Guest Lecture: 
Deborah Herron, Assistant District Attorney		   Animal Welfare and the Legal System
11/21 Guest Lecture: 
Paul Miller		    Dog fighting and chicken fighting
11/26 Class Presentation For instructions on group projects CLICK HERE —
11/28 THANKSGIVING    
12/3 Class Presentation — —
12/10 Final Exam Period 
8-10 a.m.		   Third Analytical Essay Due

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