In the op-ed piece “A Change of Heart about Animals”, Jeremy Rifkin emphasizes the similarities between humans and animals by providing results on scientific research studies to illustrate that humans should be more empathetic towards animals. In addition, he further explains how research results have changed the ways humans perceived animals and indicates solutions that were taken by other countries and organizations to help improve and protect animal rights. Rifkin provides examples that demonstrate animals have emotions, conceptual abilities, self awareness, and a sense of individualism just like humans. For example, Pigs crave for affection and get depressed easily when isolated, two birds Betty and Abel have tool making skills, Koko
Jeremy Rifkin, the president of the Foundation on Economic Trends in Washington D.C and author of “A Change of Heart About Animals” (2003), argues in this article that animals are much more like humans than we thought and that we should expand our empathy to our fellow creatures. Rifkin develops his thesis by comparing the similarities between humans and animals. An example of this is in paragraph 11 when he claims that animals show a sense of their own mortality and the mortality of their kin just like humans do. He supports this claim by giving an example of elephants standing next to their dead children for days after they have passed. The author gives that example of the elephants in order to make the reader understands just how aware these
Where would modern civilization be without empathy? Empathy allows us to relate to others in a way that is meaningful during tragedies. Empathy is what makes people human. Without it, humans would act in ways that are closer to zombies or robots. A scary depiction of a world without empathy is “Beggar in the Living Room,” by Bill Watkins.
This is a simple strategy to use in this essay because people have feelings towards animals. The “growing human population often pushes the giant beasts off their grazing lands” (par.7). This was an effective way of making the readers feel guilty of their actions. The amount of animals being killed also makes the audience feel bad. To many’s shock, “one elephant is slaughtered by poachers every 15 minutes” (par.10).
To begin, when talking about animals it can be a very sensitive subject mainly because the way animals are treated on farms, and how no one feels the need to question these actions. This is because many people feel this issue doesn’t concern them. In this essay Matthew Scully discusses the issue on how animals are treated and how they should be given more respect, and attention. Matthew Scully argues that animals in these factory farms are wrongfully treated, he uses biblical references and addresses the morals of humans to get conservatives to act on this matter.
The emotion of empathy was a big role in this novel, and the empathy
One such appeal is an appeal in which Foer urges readers, either directly or indirectly, to imagine what it would be like to be an animal. Foer defines this concept as “anthropomorphism” (the urge to project human experience onto the other animals) (46). Foer either directly asks readers to picture themselves in the place of an animal, or he relies on anthropomorphism in a more subtle way. For instance, Foer states that, “Fish build complex nests, form monogamous relationships, hunt cooperatively with other species, and use tools” (65). Foer attempts to show that animals and humans are more alike than conventional wisdom suggests.
According to Jeremy Rifkin’s article, “A Change of Heart About Animals,” research has shown that animals are more similar to humans than originally believed. Through the many studies provided, Rifkin claims the need to provide better treatment towards animals. While animals deserve and could benefit from a more humane treatment than what is currently provided, they may not necessarily require a human-like lifestyle simply because of their similarities to humans.
“Bah! They’ve no understanding.” ( Connell 3) In the scene, Rainsford states that animals have no feelings; Connell used that as foreshadowing to portray the theme of considering how others feel.
Straying from humanity can result in many dangerous effects such as a lack of empathy toward others and abandoning one's moral compass. Once a person has been distanced from humanity they start to express a lack of empathy, or that they have never had a sense of empathy in the first place. In “The Most Dangerous Game”
The sympathy we feel for others eventually starts flowing away because of distraction. For instance, the short story "The Veldt" is a perfect example on showing how we lose sympathy for others because of technology. The own protagonists have been brainwashed to the point where they will make many radical decisions. The siblings (Wendy and Peter),have become so distracted with the nursery in their automated house, that they don't care about others feelings. They start disobeying their parents right after they said they would be disconnecting the automated home they live in.
In the end, there are no Martians, very few lonely Earthlings, and dead cities. Mars, intended to be a world filled with travelers from Earth results in a desolate, empty, and lifeless planet due to the invasion of Earthlings. Another result from the invasion of Mars by Earthlings is the sad reality of making an entire planet filled with sorrow, despair, loneliness, uncertainty, and confusion. There are several instances where Earthlings are hypnotized by Martians, and eventually killed by them, too. These parts of the story usually lead to sadness and depression in character(s).
In George Saunders’ essay from The Guardian, he states, “We often think that the empathetic function in fiction is accomplished via the writer’s relation to his characters, but it’s also accomplished via the writer’s relation to his reader” (The Guardian). In Kurt Vonnegut’s story “Harrison Bergeron”, we can see this idea shown through the reader’s connection with Harrison. Vonnegut uses the main character of the story, Harrison Bergeron, as a symbol of empathy by allowing the reader to relate to his desire for individuality.
What does it actually mean to be a human or an android in a physical and emotion sense? In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep the world has been totally devastated by a nuclear war that has came to be known, World War Terminus. Androids are moving around Earth as humans did once before, but a certain section of them have become “rogue” androids. See many humans had the opportunity to emigrate to Mars instead of staying on Earth and in doing so androids were brought to Mars to assist humans. Subsequently many of androids that were supposed to go to Mars actually become rogue and stayed on Earth.
(ch.5 pg.47) It all clearly points to the fact that all animals (and humans) have different strengths and different jobs and that they are not equal. This is also the case because some of the animals capabilities elevated their status within their society. This inequality sometimes helped the farm by providing a firm government but often lead to harsh mistreatment of many of the animals. The only reason animals often listened to the leader was because he had ferocious dogs protected him and in certain cases he used that power to protect his own interests.
