How have the readings, writings, and research you conducted this semester developed your appreciation for and understanding of some of the ethical issues and dilemmas regarding human-animal relations? Cite at least two texts to illustrate your points.
My outlook on animals and understanding of some of the ethical issues and dilemmas regarding human-animal relations has greatly changed over the course of this class. Before this class I thought that I had an understanding of animals but this course of animal rights and current ethics issue such as animal experimentation. I was deeply disturbed by the recent section covered in class: eating animals. I was aware of the immoral and at times unsanitary practices in the animal agribusiness, but when I read in Jonanthan Safran Foer's Eating Animals the factory farms often keep cesspool's of animal waste near the animals I was turned off. Foer gives an example where a factory worker was overcome by the smell, fell in and those he went in after him all perished (177-178). Thanks to this class even if I wanted to I have a hard time eating meat, the first thing that pops in my head is an image of a piglet, and I've never even eaten pork. One of the passages that have stayed with me through out the course of this class was Tom Regan's theory of a subject of a life. I think I've used that in about all of my paper's; 'because an animal has inherent value, and is a moral agent, their life has value' (22).
What writing skills have you acquired through your readings, writings, and research this semester?
This course has helped me develop my writing skills, and has helped me focus on details. I enjoyed the debates, and the class discussions which often aided the writing of my papers.
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