Domestic Animals Fuel Human Progress: An Argument in Favor

Essay, Pages 6 (1477 words)

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"Life today as we know it is at a crucial point. We have brought ourselves to the point where change needs to be seriously considered. Attention to our society, our environment, our behavior, our values and our views must be examined and altered where need be. Questions need to be questioned. Are we really developing? Are we honestly improving our way of life not just for ourselves but also for our children to come? Are we one with our environment or are we hoping that someone else will clean up and take care of our mistakes? Are we taking care and respecting our planet? Or have we lost touch with the natural surroundings and moved away from the animals that we once long ago cared for as if they to were part of the family.

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Much thought must go into these questions for our environment as well as a fulfilling life depends on it."

Animals have enabled humankind to steadily rise from primitive conditions to a higher quality of life.

Animals have indeed enabled civilization to develop. We can say that our state of living is owed to that of animals. They gave us the boost and carried us upon their shoulders through the centuries past. We owe our very existence to them but yet little gratitude is shown. They have been the propeller that has propelled us through history. Large domestic animals lead our ancestors away from hunting and gathering to more settled life styles. Shifting cultivation has become a thing of the past.

This revolution that has taken place has been brought about by the substitution of animals in our Western society. We use fossil fuels, hydro-electricity and nuclear fuels instead of animal power for cooking, lighting, heating, farm work and transport. Clothing material is being supplied by tropical plant or synthetic origin instead of local animal products. Farms instead of using animal manure use inorganic fertilizers. International trade and refrigeration of food have as a result had no need for animals to live nearby. Animals are now only regarded as important for food and as a by-product, for leather and wool. In the West animals are solely seen as an economic resource, hidden away in remote locations with the objective of serving the market economy with animal products. The market has no interests in the "old-fashioned" contributions of animals to human life. Is this the respect that we are showing towards them? Is this the thanks they get for the help they provided free of charge? Their labour was and still is provided free of charge. We have taken advantage of these creatures. It is disrespect to the environment and all of nature.

Overtime it is clear that we have lost touch with the values our ancestors learned from their animals. The reason being is that science and technology has influenced our way of life. Science has enabled us to mass-produce our own milk and therefore cows become unnecessary. Technology has brought about new developments in transport and therefore horses and donkeys are used now mostly for sport or by rural settlements. Market value pressure has played a big role in this change of history. We need to look back and give more respect to the creatures that gave our ancestors the lessons that aided them on the meaning of completeness and sustainability.

Human progress is a direct result of domestic animals. They have contributed hugely to human wellbeing and growth of human community. Animals rid people of the hard labour which is required for heavy field work; animals make it possible to transport products and goods to other communities for barter or sale, animal milk is essential for infants who cannot acquire the sufficient quantity or quality of human milk; animals provide protein for improved nutrition; animals provide leather, wool, and horn for insulation and protection from nature; dried manure from large animals is useful for growth of vegetation and is fuel for important activities such as cooking and heating; animals aid in the improvement of farming techniques; animals until not so long ago were the only form of transport.

Today many people still depend on the services, which animals can provide. Without them, life, even in the simplest societies, would perish. This is clear when one is to take a typical rural settlement and observe how important animals are. They serve in protection, labour aid, food supply, transport and wealth. The number of livestock owned often sees the status of a family or community leader. In some parts of Africa, in rural areas, a bride is given in return for livestock. In Moslem societies, sheep and goats play a major role in religious obligations. In early Jewish periods, animal scarifies were a central part of worship. Due to all the human dependencies on animals, it has caused most people to keep them in close contact with themselves. Owners give animals food and care to ensure their health, longevity, and ability to serve and reproduce. Animals are sometimes even regarded as sacred creatures. Domestic animals have greatly influenced community rituals and values in most early societies.

We need to define the difference between traditions and rituals of life from values. Traditions and rituals are not so essential; they pave for us the pattern of life. In contrast values for a community in a society are extremely important. Values define the path a society follows. Values enable societies to advance.

People today also depend to a great extent on animals for example dogs in events such as natural disasters. For instance in countries where earthquakes, avalanches or cyclones are regular, canines are a common sight as partners in rescue forces. Dogs have an extremely high sense of smell and therefore aid the rescuers in finding and detecting bodies hidden under ground or trapped under rubble. Subsequent to the September 11th attack on the United States Twin Towers, rescue dogs helped immensely to find trapped survivors amongst all the debris. If not for them many would have lost their lives. The blind only until today are now able to venture outside of their homes, thanks to the well-trained Seeing Eye dogs. Without them the 'blind' would be confined to certain areas and could only live a more normal life if accompanied by a trustworthy human companion. This is a problem, as it causes much inconvenience for the escort to be available most of the time. This dependency on animals is not out of satisfaction or consideration but for reasons that are unavoidable. We need to create and share a bond between animals for the sake of creating a better quality of like for all.

Values today in Western Societies have greatly changed to that of societies centuries ago. Today values are focused on economic growth, GNP, material possessions, income rewards and investment. Deep concern must be taken towards our views on a society because they do not provide the sufficient care for the environment and for animals.

This view that we all carry has caused a lack of daily contact with animals and the natural environment. In rural society domestic animals provide the most personal and intimate connection people have with nature, due partly to the fact that much time is spent working and living together. A personal commitment is formed between the people and their animals. When people accompany their livestock into the natural environment for grazing they realize that animals are part of the natural order. Domestic animals need society for protection. Hence we need to understand that excessive use of one component, for example over-grazing leading to depleted vegetation, places human life and animals at risk.

Thus, the values of societies thousands of years ago were based upon a holistic view of life. Everyone knew that each component of life is integrated and that life functions as a single unit. This view has been lost in the West. We have blindly believed that by focusing upon one component we can make it more productive, but in our eagerness we forget the balance of the whole. In earlier times when the reliance upon animals was a must, society realized that life is intertwined with all the natural resources of the world. The West today is still dependant on natural resources and therefore one cannot take endless quantities of everything without upsetting the balance. If care is not taken the equilibrium in which we live will collapse and will result in a drastic reduction in quality of life. We, in the West need to contemplate our lost relationship of Western civilization with the environment, with domestic animals, with each other and with other societies on earth. I believe that with a better understanding of these relationships we will be a leap forward in helping to understand where the West has come from, what we are in danger of losing, and where we are going.