Peter Singer introduces the term `speciesism`. What does he mean by this term? How is it relevant to his argument? How would Roger Scruton respon to this concept?

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Analysis of the Applicability of Morality to Animals

According to Peter Singer , arguments in support of the liberation of individuals from stereotypes defined by race and gender should be extended to animals . Singer notes that such an action will thereby enable the elimination of speciesism . Speciesism refers to the unjust and discriminatory attitudes towards species other than our own (Cigman 47 . In relation to

this Singer claims that speciesism refers to the accordance of special value to human life due to membership of the species Homo sapiens . According to the adherents of the aforementioned claim , special value is derived from membership as opposed to any particular features that individual members of the species possess (Boddington and Podpadec 281 . Singer claims that speciesism is characterized with the belief that it is justifiable to treat a member of another species in a way which would be wrong to treat our own (288 . In these sense arguments against speciesism does not so much provide the denial that animals and persons are in all respects identical and therefore entitled to identical treatment . On the other hand , such arguments state that it is rather the possession across species of certain morally relevant capacities that necessitates their equal treatment with human beings . In this sense , speciesism may thereby be seen as a failure to acknowledge the equal capacities of persons and animals to experience suffering and the moral equality , which is a corollary of this fact . As such , speciesism bears at least a superficial resemblance to sexism and racism , the error of which consists in the failure to understand the tautology that all human beings are human being

In the context of cases of racism and sexism , it thereby amounts to stating that membership within a particular human species should not overshadow the fact that such a membership is understood within the social sphere as membership to a group of individuals that are construed as human or persons . The emphasis on these terms [humans or persons] suggests certain capacities and related vulnerabilities , which are more or less universally possessed by persons . Such claims thereby expound on claims , which state that all persons are able to suffer physical and mental pain , and to experience , and be frustrated in , affection for others . These truths give rise to certain moral claims , which may be irrationally obscured by incidental characteristics such as skin color and sex . It is important to note that the non-adherents of speciesism [e .g . Singer] attack speciesism within the similar line

Singer claims , for example , that species equality is typically overlooked by virtue of morally insignificant features such as the number of legs a creature possesses , or the inability to talk . Equal capacity to suffer is the only reasonable ground for moral equality it has been shown , moreover , that many species are in possession of nervous systems of comparable...