Since the 20th century, men began to treat animals in a different way. Before then, animals were men’s property but now animals can be men’s property as well as men’s friends. What we do to our friends and what to animals are quite different. So the moral status of animals becomes the most important moral issues. This thesis is to addresses the moral status of animals from the perspectives of Peter Singer, Tom Regan and Buddhist. For Singer, whether a being should be entitled to be treated under the principle of equal consideration of interests depends on its ability of sentience. Singer asserts that human society if we take the impartial element into ethical reasoning, we should at the same agree to give equal concern to all human beings as well as other creatures that can feel pain as humans. But for Singer, equal concern for other creatures does not mean to treat them equally. Tom Regan defends animal rights in terms of equalitarian justice. Men and animals have their own inherent values. That means both are for their own sake, not for others. The inherent values of an individual provide the basis for the respect principle. The respect principle specifies a direct duty of justice owed to all that have inherent values. Besides the respect principle, Regan also defends the principles of, harm, mini-ride, worse-off, and liberty. Under these principles, Regan asserts that animal rights should not be less important than human rights. Though Singer and Reagan really manifest the significance of moral status of animals, yet Warren thinks that Singer and Reagan fails to elaborate the difference between animals with moral status and those without moral status. And Des Jardins also thought that Singer and Reagan still cannot escape from the accusation of anthropocentrism Therefore, we have to evaluate moral status of animals from the Buddhist dharma of dependent origination. It not only helps to resolve the boundary issues but also avoids the predicament of anthropocentrism. From the dharma of dependent origination, all that has ability of sensibility should be reciprocally treated equally. The Dharma deems sentient beings as the foundation of the origins of universal law. So all the dilemmas in human life should be elucidated from the stand points of sentient beings. Since human beings are placed in the center of the world of sentient beings, men should take a great responsibility to take care of the sentient world. The Buddhist dharma’s point out the significance of men’s status in the sentient world, so it is quite natural for men to extend their care and duty to the whole world. With the guideline from Buddhist dharmas, we can achieve the harmony of the whole world and at the same time quiet the disturbance of anthropocentrism.
