Papers by Erich Linder
Balthazar, 2022
Is there a morally relevant distinction between cases in which the agent harms someone and cases ... more Is there a morally relevant distinction between cases in which the agent harms someone and cases in which she merely allows someone to be harmed? Holding that such distinction exists and is morally relevant has implications on both theoretical and practical grounds. In my paper, I discuss one of the most conspicuous defences of the existence of the distinction between doing and allowing harm (from now on, DAH). I argue that – provided that it be possible to establish such a distinction – what really matters is whether and how this distinction would be morally relevant. The moral relevance of such distinction is, in fact, much controversial. The main reason why the DAH should be morally relevant is that it legitimizes the agents’ authority over their own resources. I address two main issues: the problem of injustice within the DAH and the conservative account of personal identity held by the advocates of DAH. Regarding the problem of injustice, I argue that when confronted with a p...
Conference Presentations by Erich Linder
17th Congress of the European Society for Agriculture and Food Ethics, 2022
The Harm-Benefit Analysis (HBA) is a procedure used to assess research protocols involving animal... more The Harm-Benefit Analysis (HBA) is a procedure used to assess research protocols involving animals used for scientific purposes on the basis of the 38th article of the Directive 2010/63/EU and corresponding Member States’ legal acts. Such analysis aims at weighing the harms inflicted on the animals with the benefits that can be acquired through their use. The HBA has already faced several criticisms. A major, however often overlooked problem, is its incapacity to deal with problems of justice. This article draws from recent work on ‘aspect-seeing’ to shed light on how the HBA precludes us from meaningfully engaging in discourse about justice and thus prevents us from addressing the unjust treatment of laboratory animals. When engaging in aspect-seeing – like when confronted with Jastraw’s famous rabbit-duck picture – we can intentionally see different aspects of the same object. Reshef Agam-Segal (2014; 2015) noted that different aspects are embedded in different normative frameworks; these, in turn, allow for different discourses and actions. Conversely, if one engages in an HBA, one relies on a particular set of conceptualisations of the animal, e.g. as a ‘research tool’ or ‘utility receptacle’, which precludes us from meaningfully talking about matters of justice; we struggle to see the animal as something that could deserve justice. Hence, using only the HBA for evaluating animal research forecloses us to draw from meaningful sources of moral evaluation. Animal research shows how we can become captivated by a particular picture of morality, we become, so to speak, morally short-sighted. Captivated by a specific aspect, we lose access to the plurality of values at our disposal, thereby reassuring ourselves that every moral problem has been solved. Aspect-seeing, instead, allows us to grasp such variety by exploring different aspects of the animal and therefore it allows us to attain an adequate picture of what is morally at stake.
Talks by Erich Linder
We are proud to announce our inaugural Summer Lecture Series including lectures by scholars based... more We are proud to announce our inaugural Summer Lecture Series including lectures by scholars based in Vienna who are working in the field of animal studies.
12 March 2025, “Envisioning a Better Future for Nonhuman Animals” by Dr Doris Schneeberger (WU, 18:00-20:00).
8 April 2025, “Animals as Urban Problems and Solutions” by Dr Claudia Hirtenfelder (WU, 18:00-20:00).
14 May 2025, “Genetic Pain Surgery with Molecular Scissors?” by Dr Samuel Camenzind (Univeristy of Vienna, 17:00-19:00).
11 June 2025, “From Zoopticon to Democratic Spectacle” by Dr Carlo Salzani (University of Vienna, 17:00-19:00)
https://www.viennaanimalstudies.com/post/2025-vas-summer-lecture-series
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Papers by Erich Linder
Conference Presentations by Erich Linder
Talks by Erich Linder
12 March 2025, “Envisioning a Better Future for Nonhuman Animals” by Dr Doris Schneeberger (WU, 18:00-20:00).
8 April 2025, “Animals as Urban Problems and Solutions” by Dr Claudia Hirtenfelder (WU, 18:00-20:00).
14 May 2025, “Genetic Pain Surgery with Molecular Scissors?” by Dr Samuel Camenzind (Univeristy of Vienna, 17:00-19:00).
11 June 2025, “From Zoopticon to Democratic Spectacle” by Dr Carlo Salzani (University of Vienna, 17:00-19:00)
https://www.viennaanimalstudies.com/post/2025-vas-summer-lecture-series
12 March 2025, “Envisioning a Better Future for Nonhuman Animals” by Dr Doris Schneeberger (WU, 18:00-20:00).
8 April 2025, “Animals as Urban Problems and Solutions” by Dr Claudia Hirtenfelder (WU, 18:00-20:00).
14 May 2025, “Genetic Pain Surgery with Molecular Scissors?” by Dr Samuel Camenzind (Univeristy of Vienna, 17:00-19:00).
11 June 2025, “From Zoopticon to Democratic Spectacle” by Dr Carlo Salzani (University of Vienna, 17:00-19:00)
https://www.viennaanimalstudies.com/post/2025-vas-summer-lecture-series