"Humanity"?

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      While discussing the hierarchy of oppression and where animals fit on the hierarchy, an idea dawned upon me. Typically when we are judging animals to see how much protection and respect they should receive, we look at how human they are. For example, most people say that a dog is more human than a rat. But what gives us the right to judge everything else based on levels of humanity? The word “humanity” itself is meant to define the human species, not to be used on other species. We don’t judge ourselves on something like “cow-ity” or “bird-ness,” so why do we judge animals based on our own species? It doesn’t make sense.

            To begin, all people have the same level of humanity. Typically in the hierarchy of oppression, some human groups are seen as being less human than others. “Humanity” defines the entire human species, not just a certain group within that species. Believing people can have different levels of humanity is a central flaw in thought and belief systems. Thinking one person is less human than another is the root of prejudice and hatred and should be targeted to change the patterns of oppression that have existed for hundreds of years.

            If saying one human is less human than another human isn’t a glaringly obvious flaw, comparing completely different species to ourselves based on a word we have created to describe ourselves is even more obvious. What gives us the right to say one animal should be killed if it enters our homes while another should not be killed under any circumstances? Or what gives us the right to say we should kill animals at all? Saying one animal is more human than another so it shouldn’t be killed does not give us that right. No other species is human, so we cannot define those species based on how human they are. We have put ourselves at the top of the hierarchy of species and therefore believe we should define all other beings based on how similar to us they are. This seems acceptable when choosing an animal for a pet; we want a pet that seems to experience emotions how we do, reacts to our actions and words in certain ways, and portrays love. However, when it comes to topics like hunting, experimentation, farming, and pests, what gives us the right to determine that an animal deserves to die and be tortured? Putting animals in an order based on humanity is wrong, and so is saying they have fewer rights because they aren’t human.

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            This brings us to a moral quandary. Sure it is wrong to say an animal doesn’t deserve rights, but how do we convince the world that animals do deserve rights and respect? If we say animals deserve the same rights we do, it seems we are confusing what is important. There are many people who the world sees as less human than other people, so isn’t this the bigger issue? I think we should focus on ensuring that all people receive equal rights and are protected, but in the process we can begin to work on protecting animals too. If people are made aware of their faulty thinking in one area, it will be easier for them to change their thinking in another similar area. This is where we must start.