A Call for Humility: Human Supremacy Through a Biological Lens

Abstract

This thesis draws on contemporary biology, in particular evolutionary theorizing, to challenge a particular camp of human supremacist arguments dubbed anthropocentric speciesism by Andrew Fenton (2018). Anthropocentric speciesism contends that membership in the human species is, for one reason or another, the definitive characteristic of moral preeminence. In particular, I challenge anthropocentric speciesist arguments that claim all and only humans have dignity and rights. I argue that the various claims made by anthropocentric speciesist philosophers who embrace the idea of intrinsic human dignity fail to survive scientifically informed philosophical analysis.