Year 9 - Religious education
Mary Midgley and why animals matter
Changing world: How should the Earth's resources be used?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will investigate how worldviews adapt teaching in the light of contemorary concerns. They will examine how Christians and Jews have responded to ideas of dominion with a focus on responsibility for the earth. They will examine attitudes to animals and Islamic ideas of reason.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain Mary Midgley's argument for why animals matter and explore the issue using philosophical tools.
Key Notes
- Mary Midgley was a British philosopher known for her work on science, ethics and animal rights.
- She said philosophy was useful to help fix our blocked thinking.
- She critiques arguments that say animals should be treated exactly like humans and that animals do not matter at all.
- 'Animals and why they matter' provides philosophical tools we may use to make decisions about the treatment of animals.
- She advocates for a mixed community, where animals matter morally for many different reasons.
Vocabulary To Learn
- blocked thinking: our ideas or thinking can sometimes get broken or blocked
- absolute dismissal: animals do not matter morally at all
- absolute inclusion: animals should be treated exactly like humans
- species barrier: belief that humans and animals are fundamentally different groups
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Philosophy is just abstract thinking and doesn't apply to everyday life.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Mary Midgley was a British philosopher known for her work on science, ethics and animal rights. She said philosophy was useful to help fix our blocked thinking.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'blocked thinking'
our ideas or thinking can sometimes get broken or blocked.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Philosophy is just abstract thinking and doesn't apply to everyday life. Correction: Some people think philosophy is just for debates or theories, but Mary Midgley shows it's actually a practical tool for thinking clearly about real issues like animal welfare.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 9 Religious education guide library.