From Human Centre Doctrine To The Harmony Of Lives

Mankind and the animal are in most close relations. The mankind is evolved by the animal. However, with the development of the mankind, the kind and quantity of the animal are reducing day by day. Especially in recent decades, the animal is becoming extinct and reducing at a surprising speed. Many species in large quantity and widely spread in 50's and 60's of last century have all become species in imminent danger now, such as crested ibis, black-crested gibbon, macaque, red deer and polypletron bicalcaratum, etc. Some species have already disappeared. Some lower animals are extinct without people's attention. There are increasingly new species in imminent danger every year at present. Meanwhile, the mankind is still massacring and maltreating the animal in order to meet their own desire for good food and indulgence in material comfort. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the topic of relation between the mankind and animal as well as the topic of protection of animals.The animal is a member in the nature, so it is a natural thing too to put the investigation of the mankind and animal relation in the relationship of the mankind and the nature. In the thoughts regarding the relationship between the nature and the mankind since modern times, human centre doctrine is the prevailing doctrine all the time, which is an origin causing death of the animal. Therefore, this article has investigated two thought origins of the human centre doctrine, namely the subjective and objective doctrine in modern philosophy and the humanism in the Renaissance and the EnlightenmentFacing the death of the animal, people in China and in the west have put forward some views or theories regarding protection of the animal, such as Jeremy Bentham's utilitarianism, Celtic's animal of natural rights doctrine, Cinger's animal liberation theory and the debate about the qualification of animal's subject of right in China, etc. These views and debates greatly promote the development of protection of animals and have positive meaning with importance.The solution to the issue shall be based on the origin of the problem. The origin causes death of the animal is the human centre doctrine. Therefore, to eliminate the"modern chains" of the human centre doctrine is a road to protect the animal effectively. In this respect, the criticism of post-modernism over the modern philosophy and the ancient though of China about harmony between the mankind and the nature have all given us helpful enlightenment.A philosophy ideological trend or a thought to occupy the prevailing position in the society, and to become a kind of major theory is not a thing overnight after all. Therefore, in order to protect the animal effectively at present, we should bring animal within the ranges of the morals community. This is not that our bounties to the animal, but is the animal's inherent value. There is only a herd of animals before the mankind appears on the earth. The animals have their own happiness, anger, grief and joy and have their own emotion. They should not become a tool of the mankind while should be the target that the human morals show loving care for.If the mankind's ethical promotion needs some time, there is no alternative but for us to protect animals with the aid of law, since the law has rigidity and enforceability after all. Additionally, the guiding nature of the law may make the mankind to examine his behavior better. Compared with some foreign countries, our country does not have enough achievement the legislation regarding animals, so we should accelerate perfecting and improving the relevant legal system to protect animals better.