"Certainly it is wrong to be cruel to animals and the destruction of a whole species can be a great evil. The capacity for feelings of pleasure and pain and for the form of life of which animals are capable clearly impose duties of compassion and humanity in their case"

John Rawls, a leading figure in moral and political philosophy, emphasizes the ethical obligations humans have toward animals. He acknowledges that cruelty toward animals is undeniably wrong, as is the broader destruction of entire species, which he explicitly condemns as a significant moral evil. Rawls’s reasoning draws upon the recognition that animals are sentient beings, they possess the capacity for pleasure and pain, which places them within the sphere of moral concern. Their experiences matter ethically, and their suffering is not to be dismissed or trivialized simply because they are non-human.

His use of the phrase “the destruction of a whole species” elevates the conversation from individual acts of cruelty to the overarching responsibility humans carry for the preservation of biodiversity and the continued thriving of different forms of life. This is not merely an ecological or utilitarian argument, but a deeply ethical one. By framing the destruction of a species as a “great evil,” Rawls places the intrinsic value of animal life at the center of considerations, going beyond animal welfare to confront ecological harm and mass extinction as profound moral issues.

Furthermore, Rawls asserts that the capacities of animals to feel pleasure and pain, as well as the unique forms of life they embody, impose upon humans clear duties of compassion and humanity. This suggests that our moral obligations are not limited to fellow humans but extend to sentient nonhuman beings and their ways of living. It is a call for empathy that takes seriously the interests and well-being of animals, challenging practices or systems that inflict unnecessary suffering or lead to extinction. Rawls’s view compels individuals and societies to act with benevolence and care, respecting not only the immediate experiences of animals but their continued existence and flourishing as integral components of the moral community.