baxter

William Baxter, from People or Penguins, in May, Applied Ethics, pp. 133-138.

Main thesis: The welfare of animals is entirely dependent on human interests.

(p. 134) Criteria or assumptions:
1. People should be free to do as they wish short of interfering with the interests of other humans.
2. Conservation is necessary since resources can never satisfy the needs of all humans.
3. Every human is deserving of respect and fairness in the application of the community's rules.
4. Every human is entitled to a decent minimum of wealth to avoid permanent privation.

A clean environment is a means to the end of fulfilling human interests--not an end in itself.

Animals need not be preserved for their own sake: they need to be preserved for the sake of
humans.

The position is selfish, but no other position corresponds to the way people actually think--that is, corresponds to reality.

Clean air benefits both humans and animals.

Neither animals nor plants vote on the community's rules, nor are some humans the special representatives or proxies of animals and plants.

Only humans are capable of asking ought questions.

There is no correct state of nature to which humans must return.

Pure air is not an appropriate goal; an optimal state of pollution is an appropriate goal.

To lower pollution, we must pay the cost of less food, shelter, education, medical care, and music.

A balance between an acceptable level of pollution and an desirable level of food, shelter, etc. can
be struck.

Note: On p. 134, Baxter states a project of ethical theory. If you disagree with his particular judgments on clean air, water, etc., he observes, you may have a more fundamental disagreement. You are likely, for example, to disagree with Baxter's criteria when you disagree with his particular judgments. If you disagree with his particular judgments, Baxter points out, "the task will then be yours to identify the basic set of criteria upon which your particular judgments rest." Baxter here describes an important feature of ethical theory: an invitation to each person to identify and examine the assumptions of his or her judgments.