Morality and animal mind: The role of sentience in ethical decision making

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The possession of specific mental faculties has long been considered a key factor in extending moral consideration to other beings, with an animal's capacity for suffering widely believed to create ethical obligations in terms of their subsequent treatment and safeguarding of welfare. My PhD work attempts to unpick the initial stages of this 'ethical contract' by exploring whether individual's willingly attribute mental capacities to a range of nonhuman animals, and if so, what is the nature of those attributions? In addition to understanding these fundamental parameters in our ascriptions of mindedness to others, my work also investigates a range of associated questions such as are beliefs about animal mentality held by members of the public overly anthropomorphic? What factors influence the manner in which we ascribe mentality to animals? Is the ascription of specified mental abilities linked to views on the ethical use of animals for human benefit, or notions of animal welfare? And are the research methods we use to capture an individual's beliefs surrounding the mental lives of animals fit for purpose?During my postdoctoral fellowship, this line of research will be further developed to investigate how the mental abilities that we ascribe to animals influence our decision-making processes when considering morally acceptable use of animals. Once the influence of individual mental capacities such as sentience or intelligence has been measured, the role that these mental capacities play in comparison to other criteria such as the cost of animal products will be evaluated. In doing so, we will not only be able to understand which mental abilities are considered of importance when individuals are making abstract decisions, but also whether the same level of importance is applied in real-life, everyday situations. The findings of the research are expected to be relevant to a range of stakeholders including fellow scientists, policy officials, charitable organisations, industry bodies, consumer groups, and the general public. As part of the fellowship, the findings will therefore be disseminated through a number of outlets including academic journal articles and conferences, executive summaries, policy events, media articles, and the project website.