Animal Cruelty Essay Outline

I. Introduction

A. Diverse attitudes towards animals and how to treat them.

B. Species-specific attitudes towards animals

C. The problem with defining animal cruelty.

D. Thesis: It may be impossible to come up with a global framework related to animal cruelty given the wide range of beliefs about how animals should be viewed and whether humans should kill animals at all.

II. Diversity and cultural values

A. Not all cultures view animals the same.

B. Attitudes change over time.

III. Speciesism

A. Why do people think eating dogs and cats is abhorrent, but are fine with eating pigs and cows?

1. The European ban on killing live octopus

2. European/North American attitudes towards dog

3. Hindu attitudes towards cowB. Is speciesism justifiable?

IV. What constitutes cruelty?

A. Is killing animals always wrong, no matter what?

B. The concept of an ethical way to kill animals.

V. Conclusions

A. Complexity of the issue

B. Suggestions for a balanced approach to animal treatment

Animal Cruelty Essay Outline Example

I. Introduction

A. Attitudes towards animals differ from culture to culture, reflecting social taboos and beliefs about the relationship between humans and other sentient beings.

B. Many cultures discriminate between animal species, leading to dichotomous views towards how various animals should be treated.

C. Thesis: The debate over animal cruelty is challenging because it is difficult to balance the desire to be kind to all creatures with the ingrained habits related to treating animals as resources.

II. Attitudes towards animals in different cultures

A. Some cultures, such as the Jain in India, view all animals as having moral worth.

B. Most cultures see animals as being valuable resources for humans, and could not conceive of a world in which animals were not raised for food or killed for their hides.

III. Differential treatment of animals

A. Almost all cultures have taboos against killing some species but not others.

B. Is differential treatment of animals/speciesism hypocritical or sensible?

IV. Vegan values

A. There is no such thing as ethical slaughter.

B. A new approach towards animals would also promote environmental sustainability.

V.  Conclusion

A. Few people would argue that cruelty towards animals is acceptable, yet most people are unwilling to give up leather products and meat.

B. Through a market-driven approach, it may be possible to eliminate all forms of animal cruelty within several generations.