The Cove is a film of activism, a film meant to move the hearts of individuals who love and support the rights of mammalian sea-dwellers like that of whales, porpoises, and most importantly dolphins. Produced in 2009 by the Oceanic Preservation Society it offers a unique perspective, when compared with other activist documentaries. In The Cove the producer and co-founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society was actually personally involved in the filming efforts and worked directly with dolphin trainer Richard O’Barry in drawing light on the events occurring in a private cove in the city of Taiji, Japan. The documentary is, of course, very biased towards the topic, with obvious pro-animal rights leanings supported indirectly with a strong utilitarian basis. When analyzing documentaries such as this it is vitally important to take as objective a perspective as possible, though humanity tends to be innately prone to bias, and scrutinize through perspectives that have established ethical guidelines.
The utilitarian foundation of argumentation indirectly taken by the producers of this film is one that focuses on the consequences as a means of determining what one ought to do. Utilitarianism argues one ought to commit acts that affects invoke more pleasure than pain or suffering. In the case of The Cove, Richard O’Barry and Louie Psihoyos , as well as other individuals chosen for the task of videotaping and creating the exposé, continually argue a few major points. One area where Richard O’Barry disagrees but the others seem to care little is the fact that dolphins are herded and initially chosen for performance purposes at water parks around the world. This showcases the manner in which many see the positives of entertaining individu...
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...ocused around the negative manner in which people or the animals were affected with a counter of no positive results coming from the acts committed. By taking the argument as it is and applying it to an ethical theory like Utilitarianism it allows one to focus the argument in an objective manner by taking the arguments and merely weighing the consequences relative to pleasure and pain—which could be done with any film or situation of this sort. It’s important that in situations of ethical debate like the subject of The Cove that one be prepared to fully analyze the situation and make a judgment through some ethical focus. In my case, upon analyzing through the theoretical lens of Utilitarianism I found the acts of these Taiji residents to be highly unethical.
Works Cited
The Cove. Dir. Louie Psihoyos. Oceanic Preservation Society, 2009. Documentary. 20 Apr. 2014.
"The Case For Animal Rights" written by Tom Regan, promotes the equal treatment of humans and non-humans. I agree with Regan's view, as he suggests that humans and animals alike, share the experience of life, and thus share equal, inherent value.
Blackfish is a 2013 documentary attempting to elevate public awareness regarding the orca that are being kept in maritime amusement parks, specifically SeaWorld, and the inherent danger of their captivity. The film is effective because it raises a set of important ethical questions for the viewer while presenting with a necessary fact-based style of documentation that does not evoke gratuitous scenes of abuse in order to inspire sympathy, unlike some of the other films that are intended to raise awareness about animal abuse.
When an intelligent animal accustomed to swimming in thousands of miles of open ocean is placed in an environment only twice its size, is separated from its species, and is forced to perform tricks, there are bound to be consequences. The captivity of these animals should be banned and National Reserves and whale tours should be used to educate the public while admiring these animals' true beauty. There are few experiences more meaningful than witnessing a killer whale enjoying the freedom of the open ocean.
"Pro and Con Captivity for Orcas in Sea World." Teen Ink. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. .
The Makah’s seemingly domestic issue of whaling has and is taking on a larger international problem. The United States plays a large part in policing the hunting of whales, one of the most recent examples being the U.S.’s ...
What do we, as humans have to do in order to give nonhuman animals the proper treatment and equal moral consideration as we owe for other humans? Some, such as Jeremy Bentham would address that, “The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation” (99). Other moral philosophers, like Henry Sidgwick, however reject the theory of utilitarianism thinking that is pleasure all that really matters and are consequences all that matters (111-112)? Humans use nonhuman animals for one purpose; pleasure from using their skins for luxury goods. In this paper, I will explain and examine what Jeremy Bentham is trying explain in his argument, and will attempt to show that his argument is a plausible one, by replying an objection against his utilitarian view.
III According to documentary “the cove” Annual dolphin hunting season in Taiji, Japan is very important event, and every September they capture hundreds of
Is a dolphin a person? Most people would automatically dismiss the question, but in reality, this question can be discussed on a very complex level revealing that the definition of a person is not so black and white. Mary Midgley sets the stage to her narrative by telling the story of a specific court case that she uses as a reference on many occasions. In May of 1977, two men set free two dolphins who were used by the University of Hawaii’s Institute of Marine Biology for experimentation. Kenneth Le Vasseur, one of the men who was standing trial, told how these dolphins were suffering through unfair conditions such as diminishing food rations, isolation from other dolphins, and loss of toys. Based on this information, Le Vasseur and his counsel tried to use the “choice of evils defense” which states that an act, which would typically be considered unacceptable, would be allowed if it would lead to an avoidance of a greater evil or crime against “another”. This defense was rejected on the grounds that the judge declared that a dolphin was not considered to be “another” and instead it should be considered property. Today in our society, it is a common perception that a person or “another” indicates that you must be a human being. Midgley investigates this perception as well as the question of how do we classify what is and what is not a person as well as the moral implications that comes with the title.
The film Blackfish, a documentary created by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, is a film about the cruel punishment of killer whales at SeaWorld. It suggests that killer whales should be set free from captivity in marine mammal parks because of the threat and danger towards humans and each other. Blackfish is an explicit example of how logos, ethos and pathos are used to create an argument that is impressive, valid and effective. After watching Blackfish, if you could only take one thing from the film it should have been that orcas are being kept in captivity under cruel conditions for the sole purpose of their investments and profits off of them.
The PETA Advertisement uses each of the three rhetorical appeals to get the audience’s attention. PETA is a nonprofit corporation with nearly 400 employees, it claims that it has 6.5 million members and supporters, in addition to claiming that it is the largest animal rights group in the world. What made me choice this advertisement is it’s showing you that elephants should be free. The PETA slogan is "Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way." This group has been the focus of controversy, both inside and outside the animal rights movement. What make this ad important is that it focuses on issues dealing with elephant abuse.
In the public eye, orcas are happy creatures who are protected in the safe water of SeaWorld, and love and have special bonds with their trainers. In reality, orcas don’t feel attraction outside of their natural social circles, and only obey humans in order to get food. The water of SeaWorld is cramped and their daily routines only brings them stress. The “happy” images are only part of the propaganda set out to exploit these animals for humans’ profit. For example, the website of SeaWorld claims it to be the leading institution for orca conservation and that its orcas live as long as they do in the wild, while in fact the life expectancy of captive orcas is 13 years, comparing to 30-50 years in nature ().
Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws focuses on Amity Island, off the coast of Massachusetts. Notable for its beaches, the island is a popular tourist spot that is preparing for its biggest holiday of the year, the Fourth of July. However, in the days leading up to this event, the small town becomes the victim of multiple shark attacks. In Jaws, the relationship between human beings and nature falls into a close examination. Throughout the film, people and nature react negatively to the actions of each other. Yet, despite the film’s specific example of the relationship between humans beings and nature, it prioritizes humans over nature and fails to raise awareness of nature’s vulnerability.
Currently, live whale performances have become well liked for tourists to visit. When they are there, they only see what they want to see and do not care or want to know all about the complications the whales go through just to make people smile. The documentary “Blackfish” exposes the truth about the whales, their habits, and why they act the manner they do when in captivity. The inhumane treatment of whales in captivity causes negative effects on the animals which, in turn, affects the humans who care for them.
The proposal of eliminating dolphin hunting serves to achieve important concepts that people should have. The biggest drawback of dolphin hunting is the massacre. Slaughtering dolphins are blatantly immoral, especially in the brutal way Taiji hunters did. Unlike livestock, dolphins are not artificially bred and raised. They are born and beloved by their parents and also their pods. In addition, they are free-living animals that are not meant to be killed by humans. People have no rights to ruin their lives because people didn’t benefit them anyways. Furthermore, dolphins, unlike fish, have feelings, meaning that they can feel the pain when they are butchered and when they see their loved ones slain (Carpenter).
Throughout history, man has captured hundreds of different species of animals. These animals are mostly used for entertainment purposes. Wild animals do not belong in captivity where they are stuck in cages for people to see, and for the companies holding them to make money. They are wild for a reason, because that is where they belong, in the wild where they can be free to do what nature intended.