Dog Fighting

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that mankind has always turned to violent and bloody sports as a form of entertainment. The writer discusses that these sports themselves have ethical questions, but when the sports are forced upon another species which has no other choice but to fight or die, the questions have even more strength to them. The writer maintains that fighting two dogs as a source of entertainment proves to be extremely unethical for a variety of reasons. The writer discusses that it violates the rule of utilitarianism in that the dogs are being violently pitted against one another against their will, showing the owner's extreme disregard for their pets. THe writer maintains that the practice of dog fighting has proven to be unethical no matter what theory is chosen to formulate an idea of ethics. The writer concludes that no matter what moral model is followed, the slaughter of other creatures for entertainment and monetary gain proves to be the epitome of unethical behavior.

From the Paper:

"In the case of dog fighting, the rules have already been formed. In order to protect the well-being of the dogs, the United States has outlawed any form of dog fighting because the dogs have no other choice. Technically, since they too are part of the situation, the dog's owners should respect their well-being and follow the law which determines the best state of being for everyone involved. However, those who choose to fight their dogs are choosing a very unethical path in terms of the ideology of the theory of rule-utilitarianism. The owners are the sole providers for the dogs, yet they are throwing the dog's well-being out of the window by putting them in danger in the ring. They are also choosing to completely ignore any and all legislation which has banned such actions. Therefore, any theorist who believes in the rule-utilitarianism would see the owner's actions as unethical and just plain wrong."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hursthouse, Rosalind. "Virtue Ethics." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2007. 7 May. 2008. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/#1
• Humane Society of the United States. "Dog Fighting: A Historical Note." Department of Field Service and Investigations. 2008. 7 May. 2008. http://www.peoriahs.org/dogfighthistory.htm
• Jessup, Diane. "Dog Fighting: The Truth." Pit Bull Information Pages. 2008. 7 May. 2008. http://www.workingpitbull.com/dogfightruthtoo.html
• Mautner, Thomas. "Rule-Utilitarianism." The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy. www.utilitarianism.com. 2008. 7 May. 2008. http://www.utilitarianism.com/ruleutil.htm

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