So far in this class, all of our readings and all of the work in Units 1-5 have focused on what obligations we have to other human beings, when these obligations apply, and why we have these obligations. Singer and Elliot are the first to expand our moral community beyond human beings. Singer defends the inclusion of animals in our moral community with a complex argument. Elliot argues that non-sentient beings like forests and trees and even non-living things like mountains and rivers can have value. Argue either for or against the existence of moral obligations to nonhuman beings. Can we ever have moral demands to protect nature, and if so, why? Use what you learned from the book, citing your sources, but go beyond the arguments covered there to offer your own critical analysis. In other words, build on the arguments in either Elliot or Singer to offer additional reasons for your position.
