Audience of "The Rights of Animals" by Brigid Brophy

Brigid Brophy's "The Rights of Animals" was intended to be viewed by humans that eat, wear, or use animal products or products derived from the suffering of animals. She is appealing to this audience because this is the demographic of people that has the ability to make a huge impact on the lives of billions of animals. Brophy also intends to appeal specifically to people living in the industrialized world, in which factory farming is widely practiced and accepted, as factory farming inflicts some of the worst suffering imaginable on animals. Additionally, knowing its audience is a huge aspect of what makes this article great, as it allows Brophy to connect with the reader with asides like, "The reader will have guessed by now what sort of person he confronts in me..." which helps them realize that despite her radical views, Brophy is a very normal and grounded person. This is just one of many examples of Brophy's acute awareness of her audience and masterful methods of confronting them.

Stasis theory in "A Universal Declaration on Animal Sentience — No Pretending" by Dr. Marc Berkoff

In his article “A Universal Declaration on Animal Sentience—No Pretending,” Dr. Marc Bekoff primarily calls his audience to action: his argument is not about whether animals are sentient, or whether treating animals the same as humans is good. Bekoff directly explains that scientists have reached the consensus that animals are in fact sentient, and that this question of fact is not the exigent issue. Instead, the stasis he addresses in the essay is the consistent action of his audience. As he phrases it, “It’s time to stop pretending that we don’t know if animals are sentient.” He argues that people inconsistently prefer humanity and blindly disregard the lives of animals. While he links to several different supporting texts and brings up scientific evidence, he clearly specifies that the science is done and no longer the issue. Bekoff’s main point even in bringing up these texts is to show his audience, who may not be well-versed in this particular field, that the scientific conversation is over. In fact, he references another of his essays, entitled “Animals are conscious and should be treated as such.” Merely the title of that essay clearly displays that he sees the issue of fact as resolved, while he still feels the need to persuade and motivate his audience to the right action.

Stasis Theory in "Rights of Animals" by Brigid Brophy

The Stasis Theory in "The Rights of Animals" by Brigid Brophy is that animals need to be treated as fellow human beings. Brophy argues that if it wrong with humans, then it should be wrong with animals as well. After all, why should they be treated differently? People's acceptance towards this behavior has led this to happen. However, changing our perspective on animal welfare will lead to everlasting changes. She predicts it will be ridiculous, she that animal cruelty existed, like slavery existed. She doesn't directly address who should handle the issue, but appeals to the reader to understand that it is just as bad to torture an animal as it is to a human. She insists we don't have the right to decide what happens another being, and it is extremely wrong that we end their lives. Animal welfare is a community everyone should feel obligated to join.

Audience of "A Universal Declaration on Animal Sentience: No Pretending"

The audience of "A Universal Declaration on Animal Sentience: No Pretending" by Dr. Mark Bekoff is mostly compiled of liberals from the Millennial and "Z" generations. Millennials are those who were growing up during the turn of the century and those in "generation Z" would be born just before or just after the turn of the century. The concept of animal sentience is unlikely to be even considered by any earlier generation. As Christianity was more popular in earlier generations and the Bible implies that only humans are capable of complex thought and emotions, it is incredibly unlikely that any earlier generation could accept the idea that animals could have human-like emotions. Also, the animal rights movement was still in early stages until recent years. Recent generations have grown up with the ideals of the movement present in their society. Therefore, we are now more likely to accept an idea like this that would have been completely discounted in the past. It is likely that future generations will be even more willing to accept an article such as this one.

Pathos in A Universal Declaration on Animal Sentience: No Pretending by Dr. Bekoff

The subject matter of A Universal Declaration on Animal Sentience: No Pretending is itself loaded with pathos, and Dr. Bekoff builds a lot of ethos for himself while he appeals to what he assumes is a common sentiment between himself and his audience. He expresses a frustration with the opposing side in his first paragraph to show his audience that this matter is important to him and many others. By showing his personal investment in his topic, he is pleading with his audience to relate and feel the same urgent need for action. He also makes a bold rhetorical move in calling out his audience for a dishonest ignorance: he claims that the audience already knows and believes that animals are sentient, but is only pretending to not be sure. In the process of calling out his audience, he provides the solution of doing what is right and acknowledging what is right and true—an argument dependent on a sympathetic audience.

Pathos in "The Rights of Animals" by Brigid Brophy

Brigid Brophy employs pathos in her essay, "The Rights of Animals," through both comparison and description of human violation of animal rights. Perhaps Brophy's most powerful implementation of pathos is her comparison of animal exploitation to slavery and the holocaust. Her explanation as to how the atrocities are analogous is strong and detailed, making her message resonate with humans on multiple levels. In addition to this horrifying analogy, Brophy uses pathos by describing the way animals "scream or struggle." This is one of the strongest arguments for the animal rights movement because seeing animals physically suffer is one of the most powerful methods of convincing someone to see animals and the food on their plate differently. Despite the fact that she develops the main facets of her argument through logos, Brophy's use of pathos is still quite effective in convincing the reader of the evils of animal exploitation and factory farming.

Ethos in A Universal Declaration on Animal Sentience: No Pretending

In his article "A Universal Declaration on Animal Sentience: No Pretending," Dr. Marc Bekoff establishes ethos to persuade his audience to accept that animals indeed have sentiments. His title indicates he has received a Doctorate Degree, indicating he must have incredible knowledge in interpreting scientific research, and is knowledgeable in many aspects. According to his bio presented on the website, he is also a professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, further supporting his knowledge and experience in the field. Psychology Today is also a well known resource that provides information on latest research being conducted, so publishing an article on their platform boosts the credibility of Dr. Bekoff's argument. Not only an article, but he has also published a book (https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Emotional_Lives_of_Animals.html?id=2DHEUdWCOikC) that covers the same issue. To support his argument, Bekoff references many essays and statistics he claims to have read and analyzed, indicating his immense knowledge in the area. His citations also portray the amount of time he has put into researching an issue he is so passionate about, increasing the credibility of his argument.