Animal rights in the perspective of philosophical anthropology

Abstract

The holistic concept of man can be built provided a new integrative approach. Human phenomenon is unfolded by ethnology, psychology, sociology, medicine, religion and even music theory, i.e. all the sciences studying the forms and patterns of human activities, as well as its products and meaning. If man and animal are evaluated by the same criteria that results in either reductionism, or dualism. The border between physical objects and thoughts, laid by Descartes is still uncrossed in cognitive science as well. It still is present in the form of the psycho/physiological dilemma. On the one hand, there is a shocking statement: it is the brain that thinks, rather than the man. On the other hand, the transcendental consciousness id described in the phenomenology, but one can’t to link it to any scientific explanation. Naturalism and spiritualism, reductionism and dualism are not overcome. It is clear that one should criticize not the very comparative anatomy or ethnology, but rather a program that is aimed at building a philosophical anthropology on the basis of biology.

The end of human exceptionalism involves comparing the man with some un-human Other and above all with the animal. Such a comparison becomes relevant in connection with the animal rights movement. To accomplish this, it is necessary to develop a system of methods and concepts that allowing to distinguish human and animal. To do this, one can use the techniques of analysis of alien consciousness developed in phenomenology and analytic philosophy. One can avoid difficulties posed by dualism and reductionism by integrating the discourses describing the status of environment, specifics of animals’ behavior and intentionality of human consciousness. In particular, a comprehensive study of the animal must take into account the interaction with human institutions. The structure of discourses about animals and its constitutive elements in some or other way are determined by the social context.