1. What is the basic question that the moral philosopher asks about how we treat members of species other than our own?
2. Distinguish racism and sexism from speciesism. Do they have any common characteristics?
3. Why does Bernard Williams believe that all persons should be treated equally? Is this similar to or different from the view of Richard Wasserstrom?
4. Does Steinbock believe that the issue of equality depends on what we say about the rights of human beings or others? Explain.
5. What counterintuitive conclusions flow from treating the suffering or interests of humans and other animals equally? What is the value of our moral feelings on this issue?
6. What three aspects or characteristics of human beings give them special moral worth or a privileged position in the moral community?
7. Why is experimentation on animals justifiable when it benefits humans?
8. Why do we regard human suffering as worse than comparable animal suffering?
9. What is the significance of the fact that we would be horrified to experiment on a severely mentally retarded human being in a way that we would not be if we used a more intelligent pig?