Paper Title: The Status of Non-Human Animals in Kant's Philosophy: A Critical Discussion
Author:
Abstract:
At present animal ethics has become a burning topic of discussion. Anthropocentric attitude gradually leads us to the degradation of nature as a whole. Being intelligent it is the duty of human being to take necessary steps for the sustenance of the living being on earth including man and animals. Ethics as a subject clearly and distinctly shows how to behave with others. All ethicists have tried to offer guidelines from their own perspectives. Immanuel Kant, a famous German philosopher has his own stand point to offer a unique model regarding the treatment of animals on earth. He clearly explains the position of animals on earth and the duty of human being towards animals. Nico Dario Mullar says “Immanuel Kant appears like an intellectual ancestor of today’s animal rights movement”. Müller demands a superior position to Immanuel Kant in the field of animal rights movement. To him, Kant rightly played his role in this connection to be treated as the pioneer of animal rights movement. In support of his demand he again says “That we should treat others according to rational principles, not momentary appetites. That moral responsibility arises from the capacities to determine our own actions autonomously-not from tradition, a self-interested contract with other human beings, or the commands of a human-shaped God. That we should exercise self-control. That we should not exalt ourselves above others. That we should cultivate sympathy and act on it”. Here the author clearly and distinctly indicates two models approach of human beings taken to treat animals. One is negative approach and the other is positive approach. In the negative approach the author hammers on the pride of human beings. In anthropocentric attitude we see that human beings placed themselves on the superior position, but here it is completely debarred. On the other hand the author advises to exercise self-control and sympathetic attitude towards animals. This is the moral responsibility of human beings towards animals.
Keywords:Anthropocentric, Non-anthropocentric, Animal Ethics, Intelligence, Animal Liberation,
DOI Link – https://doi.org/10.63431/AIJITR/3.II.2026.81-86
Review By – Dr. Amrita Dutta and Dr. Parimal Sarkar