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Steven Libretti
November 16, 2008
Assignment 5
Little Green Men: For the Better

The question of whether nonhuman species such as animals should be treated similar to

humans is one which has plagued the human race for countless years. The nonhuman factor is

one which has played a vital role in the progression of humans. Dating back to the era when

humans sacrificed animals to their God, to now when humans breed animals to be slaughtered

and sold as food, animals have always played an important role in the lives of humans. Humans

have always considered nonhumans inferior, and thus treated them so. Michael Pollan, author of

“An Animal’s Place”, uses many different authors to depict how nonhumans are treated. Pollan

relates to a book by Peter Singer, “Animal Liberation”, to thoroughly illustrate how animals are

truly being treated. Author of “E.T. and God”, Paul Davies writes about his search for extra-

terrestrial intelligence on other planets. Although Davies has not yet found any forms of extra-

terrestrial intelligence, he has raised many questions about what would happen to the humans’

image if any extra-terrestrial intelligence was found. Animals are used by Pollan as an example

of nonhuman life that humans encounter. Conversely, extra-terrestrial intelligence has yet to be

discovered, but may play a strong role in how true religious teachings are. The nonhuman life

form, animals, is one which humans encounter on a daily basis, whereas extra-terrestrial

intelligence has yet to be discovered, and could drastically change the conception of modern

human beings.

Animals have always played an important role in human society, but over the years

humans have developed a form of racism towards animals: speciesism. Many years ago, humans
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looked to animals as God-like creatures which had to blessed and sometimes even sacrificed for

the greater God which could not be seen, nor heard. From these times up until now where

humans breed animals for fun and for food, animals have always been vitally important in human

life. Michael Pollan says, “Eating animals, wearing animals, experimenting on animals, killing

animals for sport: all these practices, so resolutely normal to us, will be seen as the barbarities

they are, and we will come to view ‘speciesism’” when he begins to read Peter Singer’s book

“Animal Liberation” (Pollan 261). Pollan feels that the nonhuman form, animals, is one which

has been incorporated into everyday life. Animals have been transformed into something more

commercial rather than the potential spiritual beings that they had once been viewed. The

treatment of animals has been dramatically depreciated over the many years of human existence.

A once sacrificial creature for God has in some places become a commercial commodity; many

animals no longer hold their distinct place in the human society. Paul Davies has similar views

here, but tries to understand how extra-terrestrial intelligence may be treated if they were to be

discovered. Davies is a physicist as well as a writer who has devoted his whole life to a search

for extra-terrestrial intelligence. He says that, “the discovery of just a single bacterium

somewhere beyond earth would force us to revise our understanding of who we are and where

we fit into the cosmic scheme of things” (Davies 65). This idea of humans having to revise their

understanding of who they are and how they fit in due to the discovery of some sort of extra-

terrestrial intelligence may prove to be monumental in how humans look at themselves in the

future, as well as how they treated other nonhuman life forms in the past. In modern society,

humans have not been appreciative to have animals coexisting with them so naturally. It is a

distinct privilege for humans to coexist with animals so naturally. Humans appear to take for
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granted the fact that they have the ability to speak to one another, and use the more basic animals

as food. The discovery of a single bacterium somewhere other than earth could prove that

humans may not be the most advanced life form. As Davies uses the term “little green men”,

could be the superior race, which are not human at all. This idea contributes to humans’ view of

speciesism as a somewhat racist point of view.

Humans and animals could be considered one of the same, but there are many aspects of

human life which could not be replicated by animals. In Pollan’s essay, he calls upon many

different writers to provide varying views as to where animals fit into human life. Pollan says

that, “humans differ from animals in morally significant ways” (Pollan 264). Pollan disagrees

with René Descartes in his views of where a definitive line should be drawn between humans

and animals. Descartes feels that animals have no souls and that they are in fact machines, thus

the line to be drawn would be a line for the variance of souls versus no souls between humans

and animals. Pollan says that Peter Singer can place both animals and humans in the same

category, but they differ in accordance to how they suffer. Pollan shares a similar view to

Descartes solely in that animals and humans are different. However, Pollan has yet to draw a

definitive line between animals and humans, and thus he is seemingly indifferent on the

treatment of animals. On the other hand, Pollan does say that it would be interesting to see how

cruel slaughterhouses would remain if they had glass walls and the general public could see how

brutal they really are. Davies does not use animals; rather he uses a separate form of the many

nonhuman life forms which he calls extra-terrestrial intelligence. Davies likes to use extra-

terrestrial intelligence and relates it to many different religions. Davies says, “The discovery of

alien superbeings might not be so corrosive to religion if human beings could still claim special
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spiritual status” (Davies 69). This special spiritual status seems to be what humans use to place

themselves at the top of the social ladder. Humans have the largest cranial capacity and because

of this, humans have are the most advanced form of life that lives on the earth. The one factor

that has not been accounted for is the possibility of an existence of extra-terrestrial intelligence

on another planet which could be far more advanced than humans could ever imagine. It is true

that humans differ from animals in significant ways; however animals are the only nonhuman

species which has been accounted for. When one looks into the future and sees the possibility of

extra-terrestrial intelligence, a human may see that animals and humans are not so different after

all when they look at the bigger picture.

Humans have put themselves above all other forms of nonhuman life and it will continue

to remain this way unless there is a significant change in the behavior of humans in the near

future. A man’s best friend is a common term which can be used to describe a dog and how it is

always faithful to his/her master even under the most extenuating circumstances. If this is true

for dogs and humans, then why does it not hold true for all species of animals. Michael Pollan is

not first writer to use the term “speciesism”, but when one is to look at this case it can certainly

holds true. Humans are speciesists, they feel that animals such as cats and dogs are more

significant animals than rabbits or mice, and they are treated differently as well. Michael Pollan

says, “Equal consideration of interests is not the same as equal treatment” and he compares

children having an interest in being educated, and pigs wanting roll around in dirt (Pollan 264).

Pollan says that the common interest between children and pigs is the interest in avoiding pain.

When a severely retarded infant is to be compared to a chimpanzee, the child will always prevail

and this is due to the “argument from marginal cases” which has been outline by Jeremy
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Bentham. A human is placed on top of an animal such as a chimpanzee solely because he/she is

in fact a human, no ifs, ands, or buts. A human will always be on top no matter what the

condition is. The consideration is there, but the fact is that the child is a human, and the

chimpanzee is not. Of all the major religions that exist in the world, Davies feels that

“Christianity is the most species-specific” and that it only applies to humans, not animals

(Davies 69). Davies continues to say that “[Jesus] did not die for the dolphins or the gorillas, and

certainly not for the proverbial little green men” (Davies 69). Davies feels that it is important to

understand that in accordance to the Christian religion, Jesus died solely for humans. Jesus did

not sacrifice himself for anyone or anything other than the human race. The inclusion of the

statement, “proverbial little green men” could show that Davies feels that aliens will be treated

no differently than animals are currently being accommodated. The fact that Jesus died solely

for the human race provides possible reasoning as to why humans may feel superior to animals.

Humans certainly do have interests in the well-being of animals, but it is not shown through how

some animals are treated. Pollan states that humans do have an in the interest in the treatment of

animals, however many humans would rather let the abuse continue to happen rather than to

intervene. This idea by Pollan is important to understand, and it further proves that humans are

selfish, and thus speciesists. It is hard to ignore the fact that humans are speciesists when Jesus

did die exclusively for the embitterment of the human race. Humans are speciesists and will

always place a human on top of a nonhuman no matter what the circumstances are.

Americans have been scrutinized for the cruel practices as well as the treatment of

animals which will be later distributed commercially as a food for the general public. Recently,

Americans are becoming increasingly concerned with the treatment of animals even before their
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inevitable death. Michael Pollan ventures to Polyface Farm where the owner, Joel Salatin treats

his animals in a more humane manner, but still slaughters them and uses them for food. Pollan

wrote in an e-mail to Singer, “I described Polyface and asked him about the implications for his

position of the Good Farm—one where animals got to live according to their nature and to all

appearances did not suffer” (Pollan 276). Salatin feels that if animals are treated as if they were

living in their natural environment, they have lived the same life that they would in nature. The

only difference for this animals over those which are in nature is that Salatin’s farm animals are

now going to be used in the commercial food market. The better treatment of animals would

certainly be an overall plus for the human race. Davies feels that a discovery of extra-terrestrial

intelligence could also be beneficial for the human race. Davies says, “One may even speculate

that an advanced alien society would sooner or later find some way to genetically eliminate evil

behavior, resulting in a race of saintly beings” (Davies 69). This possibility of genetically

altered saintly beings could rule out any further possibility of animal cruelties. The possibility of

having “saintly beings” could put an end to the harsh treatment of animals whether they are

going to be slaughtered or not. The fact that an animal is going to be slaughtered is arbitrary,

when you decide how to treat this animal. The discovery of extra-terrestrial intelligence may be

favorable for the supporters of the animal cruelty.

The consideration of how animals are being treated in slaughter houses is a topic that will

seemingly never end. One possible way of putting an end to the harsh treatment of animals in

slaughter houses could be to have literally, or even figuratively transparent walls in the slaughter

houses which would allow the general public to see what is taking place, just like Polyface Farm.

Humans have and will always be on top of all nonhuman life forms on the social ladder.
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Regardless of whether a child is severely mentally retarded, it will always be above a

chimpanzee because humans are speciesists. Speciesism is a form prejudice where humans

discriminate against animals solely because they are mentally inferior, and thus nonhuman. If

extra-terrestrial intelligence were to be found on another planet, and their ideas to be adopted

into human culture; then humans could be radically changed. Humans have treated the

nonhumans in very harsh methods since the beginning of their existence, and this could change if

humans were to face a completely different nonhuman life form which worships other

nonhumans which are different from themselves. This question cannot be answered yet, and

only time will tell the answer.