... them with unneeded cruelty, declared by Kant. He thinks animals do not have 'rational and automanus'2 feelings, thus cannot be an 'end to themselves,' 3 and cannot be moral agents, and only humans have full moral status as they are 'rational and self-conscious beings'4. An objection to this is argued by Singer; if animals are not autonomous creatures, surely some humans are not either, like young infants and the retarded, whom have no rational thoughts. 5 Regan and Singer would argue, based on Descartes and Kant's views, we could morally eat retarded and young infants as they are not 'self-conscious', as they have no desire or feelings. An objection is young children will eventually become rational adults. Utilitarianism philosophers, like Peter Signer and Raymond Fry disagree with Kant, feeling even humans have not got complete moral status; where it is necessary to harm one person to save another, it is ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now