Javiera Farga
CAF awarded lawyer Javiera Farga, who is the Director of Fundación Derecho y Defensa Animal in Chile, a grant for “Rationality and Compassion in Animal Ethics: Towards Overcoming Speciesism.”
The grant supported Javiera Farga’s master’s thesis as it analyzed rationalist frameworks in animal ethics — utilitarianism, deontology, and contractualism — and examined how Schopenhauer’s ethics of compassion and feminist care ethics might complement them. By year’s end, Farga had completed four of five chapters, with final conclusions and revisions expected for submission in March 2026. She gave a public lecture on Schopenhauer at the University of Chile and attended the PHAIR conference at the University of Edinburgh.
Most philosophical approaches to animal ethics rely on rationalist principles, yet animal suffering remains pervasive. This suggests that rational arguments alone are not enough to shift societal attitudes and policies. By incorporating compassion and care ethics into the debate, this research aims to explore an alternative ethical framework that can generate stronger moral motivation. The findings will contribute to academic discussions, legal debates, and animal advocacy by providing a more holistic approach to addressing speciesism.
