Animals+&+Rene+Descartes

Animals What is there to say? There are billions of animals on this planet and peoples different views on them are just as high in numbers. For some they are the irritant of their allergic reactions, others they are the a source of food, some see them as best friends, others a sexual fantasy fulfiller. For the people of PETA (people for the ethnical treatment of animals) they are on the level of humans in having rights and would be treated with respect.

Rene Descartes Rene Descartes was a French philosopher who was dubbed “Father of Modern Philosophy”. Descartes felt that the body was made of two parts: the physical being and the soul. Rene felt that humans possess both of these qualities but animals lacked a soul. He felt that they could not feel pain and were in a sense just “mechanical beings”. He felt that they could be dissected while still alive and not feel anything. Others felt that Rene meant they had feelings but they did not connect those with self conscious feelings. If Descartes was still alive I’m sure PETA would have fed him to the dogs.