Animal Testing

So far, our focus has been upon the distinctions our cultures draw between humans and animals, and the question of rights. What this assignment asks you to do is to write about animals in much the same way that you wrote about Nature: what ideas do you have about animals, and what influences (experiences, texts, upbringing) can you identify as formative of those ideas? In order to make the assignment more manageable I would like you to focus upon one issue in particular: how humans treat animals. And I would like you to center your discussion around a specific activity, practice, or institution. You might, for example, talk about your opinions on hunting, or on medical testing, or on spaying or neutering, or on vegetarianism, or on pet stores, or on zoos. The list could be endless. In the case of zoos: how do you feel about zoos? What thoughts do you have about how zoos treat animals? What experiences have you had directly or indirectly, positive or negative, about zoos? What texts (popular, religious, philosophical, etc.) have been influential in shaping your ideas?
NOTE:
It is likely, but not inevitable, that, if your discussion addresses issues related to animal welfare or animal rights, your essay will touch upon your political beliefs. That is fine. Please do not, however, try to guess at my political leanings and shape your essay to appeal to my beliefs. I can assure you that you are not being graded upon your ideas, but rather upon how you articulate those ideas in writing.
CONSIDERATIONS:
As with the majority of papers that you will write in this class, you can assume that your audience is not only your peers in this class, but the academic community more broadly, and that generally speaking your purpose is to inform and to educate. Grades will be determined by taking into account a number of features including the maturity and sophistication of the
writing, the essay’s structure and organization, and the general mechanics of the writing (grammar, spelling, expression, etc).
ASSIGNMENT:
Write about your opinions and attitudes towards animals by focusing upon one activity, institution, or practice.