Should euthanasia of humans be legalised in Australia?
Should euthanasia of humans be legalised in Australia?
Order Description
Your answer to contain two parts
(i) Give a 750 word Reflection answering the following questions:
? What do you believe?/What is your opinion?
? What about the terms/definitions? Are they clear? What kind of problems or ambiguities
could arise here?
? Why do you hold this opinion? What are your main reasons for thinking this way?
? Are these main claims easy to understand? Do they rely on common knowledge? Or are
they unusual and rely on implicit ideas or background?
? What supporting evidence would/could you give for these views?
? Do you think your reasons are good ones? Could you make your argument stronger?
(ii) A diagram of your argument which draws on your answers to Part (i). You should include:
? Conclusion
? Premises, sub-premises (if necessary), and implicit premises (if necessary)
? Whether premises and sub-premises are linked and convergent.
I got a simple answer from school, please follow this style to do my assessment.
Should Humans Stop Eating Animals?
500 word reflection
What do I believe? What is my opinion?
I believe we should stop eating animals when there are alternative sources of nutrition available.
Why do I hold this opinion? What are my main reasons for thinking this way?
I have two main reasons for my opinion. First, cruelty to animals should be avoided. Second, high
density farming methods cause higher levels of disease, which can negatively affect humans.
What supporting evidence would/could you give for these views?
For my first claim, it is cruel to intentionally inflict pain. Many of the animals that we eat have very a
similar biological makeup to humans, so it is highly likely that those animals also feel pain and
slaughter methods intentionally inflict pain. Hence, killing animals on a commercial level can lead to
cruelty.
Furthermore, humans do not want cruelty inflicted upon themselves, as is shown by the reaction of
disgust that the global community displayed toward the cruelty inflicted by Hitler’s regime on the
Jewish community. In addition to this, the majority of people believe that a sensible principle of
action is that we should not inflict on others what we do not want inflicted on ourselves. Therefore,
cruelty should be avoided.
For the second claim, factory farming practices involve cramped conditions where animals are
forced to live in their own waste. These conditions lead to higher rates of disease. For instance, in
pig farms it is found that the strains of staphylococcus that are resistant to antibiotics are up to 70%
higher in factory farms than free range farms. Many of these diseases can be passed on to humans
either directly or via consumption of the animals, e.g., bird flu.
Are these claims easy to understand? Do they rely on common knowledge? Or are they unusual
and rely on implicit ideas or background?
Firstly, there are human communities that do not have access to alternative sources of nutrition, so
‘human’ does not include everyone as these people will have to eat animals for survival. This is why
my conclusion is conditional and not applicable to all humans. Moreover, it would seem that some
animals can be excluded from the claim as well. For instance, insects are animals, but there is no
controversy over the consumption of insects. I believe that this is because some simpler organisms
do not ‘feel’ pain, so this idea is playing an implicit role in my argument that could be made clearer.
Secondly, the claim that commercial farming leads to cruelty does rely on some implicit background
knowledge about slaughtering methods and simple economics. For instance, some slaughtering
methods, like using sledge hammers to kill cattle, involve high stress situations for the animals and
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so generally involve more pain for the animal. These kinds of methods are used because they are
cheaper and thus increase the profit margin for producers.
Finally, it is probably not common knowledge that factory farming is spreading to markets like cattle
and sheep, but as space is becoming are rare commodity, the short term benefits of factory farming,
in terms of profits, are becoming more attractive to farmers in these markets.
Do you think your reasons are good ones? Could you make your argument stronger?
My reasons are good. However, they could be strengthened with further evidence. For instance,
scientific evidence that animals feel pain could be provided and more evidence that diseases and
viruses result from factory farming practices could be gathered and presented. Also, some facts
about how factory farming is increasing and entering the livestock markets would strengthen
premise 2.
Argument Diagram
1.1.1 It is cruel to intentionally inflict pain
1.1.2.1.1 Many of the animals that we eat have very a similar
biological makeup to humans
1.1.2.1.2 [A similar biology would mean similar sensations]
1.1.2.1 It is highly likely that many of the animals that we eat feel pain
1.1.2.2 [Commercial requirements for cheaper methods of slaughter
generally involve more painful methods]
1.1.2 Slaughter methods on a commercial level intentionally inflict pain
1.1 Killing animals on a commercial level can lead to cruelty
1.2.1.1 The reaction of the global community to the cruelty committed by
Hitler’s regime on the Jewish community was one of disgust
1.2.1 Humans do not want cruelty inflicted upon themselves
1.2.2 The majority of people believe that a sensible principle of action is that we do
not inflict on others what we do not want inflicted on ourselves
1.2 Cruelty should be avoided
1. Cruelty to animals should be avoided
2.1 Factory farming practices involve cramped conditions where animals are forced to live in
their own waste
2.2.1 In pig farms it is found that the strains of staphylococcus that are resistant to
antibiotics are up to 70% higher in factory farms than free range farms
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2.2 Cramped and unsanitary conditions lead to higher rates of disease
2.3.1 Bird flu is a virus that can be transmitted to humans
2.3 Many diseases resulting from factory farming can be passed on to humans either directly
or via consumption of the animals
2. High density farming methods cause higher levels of disease, which can negatively affect humans
C. Humans should stop eating animals when there are alternative sources of nutrition available
1 and 2 are convergent.
1.1 and 1.2 are linked.
1.1.1 and 1.1.2 are linked.
1.1.2.1, 1.1.2.2 are linked.
1.1.2.1.1 and 1.1.2.1.2 are linked.
2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 are linked.