54 min
The ethics of keeping pets God Forbid
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- Religion & Spirituality
Many of us regard our pets as part of the family, but can an animal be its best self in a human home?
For much of human history, we’ve kept animals primarily to do jobs – to hunt, herd, plough and pull carriages... or just to keep mice out of the hay shed.
The idea of keeping an animal as a "pet” - an emotional companion is relatively new. And religion, it turns out, played a part in that historical shift.
Of course, pets can enrich our lives, but how we breed, feed and keep these animals raises questions even for the most loving, well-meaning pet owners. It's a passionate issue, full of blurry lines and moral grey areas. But philosophy, religion and science offer some guidance.
Many of us regard our pets as part of the family, but can an animal be its best self in a human home?
For much of human history, we’ve kept animals primarily to do jobs – to hunt, herd, plough and pull carriages... or just to keep mice out of the hay shed.
The idea of keeping an animal as a "pet” - an emotional companion is relatively new. And religion, it turns out, played a part in that historical shift.
Of course, pets can enrich our lives, but how we breed, feed and keep these animals raises questions even for the most loving, well-meaning pet owners. It's a passionate issue, full of blurry lines and moral grey areas. But philosophy, religion and science offer some guidance.
54 min