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How did Roger Scruton support both animal welfare and human use of animals?
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Animal rights
A PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) demonstration in Seoul, South Korea, against the use of animals for fur in clothing.
In his work Animal Rights and Wrongs (2000), British philosopher Roger Scruton proposed a nuanced approach to applied ethics that balanced animal welfare with the human use of animals. He argued that human use of animals is morally permissible provided that the circumstances offer some benefit to the animals involved.12
Scrutonās position was defined by his evaluation of how specific practices impact an animal's quality of life:
- Support for traditional practices: He defended activities such as foxhunting, reasoning that the practice incentivizes humans to preserve and protect the natural habitats where foxes live.13
- Condemnation of industrial practices: He criticized modern factory farming, arguing that these systems fail to provide animals with a minimally acceptable life.23
By distinguishing between practices that sustain habitats and those that deny animals a decent existence, Scruton sought to reconcile human utility with ethical obligations toward nonhuman species.12