Picture illustrating the idea of anti-speciesism. Photo by DEA / G. SIOEN – Getty
Source: https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/la-grande-table-2eme-partie/lantispecisme-retour-sur-une-revolution-philosophique
On February 18th, 2020, students from the French Natural History Museum understood how speciesist they were. These students are learning how to develop a territory while protecting and enhancing biodiversity, one of the most important tasks humanity is currently dealing with. In response to this enormous task, new environmental movements are emerging to protect Nature.
We often consider anti-speciesism as being part of these environmental movements. However, I was not convinced by this statement and I decided to share this doubt with my fellow students.
Speciesism is the discrimination in favor of one species, usually the human species, over another, especially in the exploitation or mistreatment of animals by humans. Anti-speciesism is the rejection of this ideology. Anti-speciesists promote equal consideration for humans and animals because animals, as humans, can experience pleasure and pain (1). According to them, speciesism is an ideology that justifies the exploitation of animals by humans in a way that would not be acceptable if the victims were human beings.
On the other hand, environmental management can lead to the exploitation or mistreatment of animals. Indeed, “managing the environment” can translate into “tackling invasive species” on some occasions. Environmentalists sometimes accept the killing of these invasive species as a necessary measure to protect the environment. For instance, in New Zealand, two million possums, first introduced to the country for their fur, are killed every year by inhabitants and hunters. Environmentalists do not denounce this hunt because possums are an invasive species that damages trees, destroys bird nests and, last but not least, eats the eggs of kiwis, New-Zealand’s most emblematic bird (2). This kind of behavior towards invasive or harmful species cannot be tolerated by anti-speciesists. Consequently, the latter’s ideology can sometimes clash with the very idea of environmental management.
Possums are seen as pests in New-Zealand. Photo by the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Source: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/animal-pests/possums/
It appears clear that environmental management is a speciesist attitude. Hence, it is worth wondering whether environmental management remains a legitimate action. Should human beings accept the environmental changes that they induce, no matter the consequences? In an anti-speciesist world, the solution would not be to “manage the environment,” but to “manage human activities” in order to reduce the environmental impacts of societies. Following this logic, every human action damaging the environment would also damage our societies, and therefore serve as a lesson for human populations to change their political agenda.
However, none of the environmental students (at least, the ones that were consulted) stand for this position. They believe environmental management to be necessary in our society where political decisions are mainly made on the basis of economic interests and without concern for the environment.
This reflection process therefore made us realize that we are in fact speciesists, but it also allowed us to put this demonized notion into perspective and to consider it in a new way, without any prejudices.
This article was written by Tristan Macadré in collaboration with Raoul Daubresse, Hervine Badin and Suzy Pensuet, all Master’s students in the Museum’s “Society and Biodiversity” specialization.
Bibliography:
SINGER, Peter (1974). All animals are equal.Philosophic Exchange, vol. 5, no 1, p. 6. https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1179&context=phil_ex
GROSS, Rachel (2013). New Zealand’s War on 30 Million Possums. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/new-zealands-war-on-30-million-possums/273606/
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