Another mural by Paul Walsh

After buying myself a new jacket, taking advantage of the 30% off for Father’s Day (tomorrow), we were headed home when I recalled a mural in Morningside which I had wanted to photograph. There was a parking spot in the right place and I stopped. Decided that this smaller mural by Paul Walsh was a better option, and had to cross the road to get the right angle and framing. While I was away from the car, someone hit the roadside back corner of our car at speed, and carried on without stopping. S was a bit shaken but unhurt. Took a photo of the rear of the offending car. A nice young man who had seen the whole thing, has written down the registration and make, and gave us his name and contact number. Insurance will hopefully sort it out for us.

Martha Nussbaum has identified ten Central Capabilities which a Just and Fair society would endeavour to nurture and support every member of that society to achieve the best expression of those capabilities which they can. One of those ten relates to the interaction with other species. In brief, she summarises this as “Being able to live with concern for and in relation to animals, plants, and the world of nature”. Later in her book (Creating Capabilities), she expands on this.

She defends promotion of capabilities for all sentient creatures, who should be treated as ends in themselves, and not as means to an end. She also supports that we have an obligation to all life, including plants, that requires that we treat our environment with due care and consideration, and do not arbitrarily and thoughtlessly exploit it. While it may be unreasonable to treat a tree (for example) as having capabilities akin to those of a human, the capabilities of a tree are worthy of respect and wanton disregard of the capability of a Kauri to live and provide shelter for other plants and many animals for hundreds of years would be unjust.

What, therefore, of pets like the common domestic cat? Some would argue that they keep humans as slaves to their wants. Generally, they are treated with respect and accorded dignity. Few of those who co-habit with a cat would mistreat or otherwise exploit the cat. They are welcomed in to our lives and families, and cared for. When they die, there is mourning for the loss. Are we sure that this arises from concern for the cat rather than for ourself? The greater the freedom the cat has to remain true to its nature, the more we are treating the cat with respect and dignity and according it the opportunity to maximise its capabilities. And that (I take Nussbaum to be arguing) enhances that capability for us as individuals to “live with concern for and in relation to” the cat(s) in our life.

Walsh has shown a man protecting “his” cat, a just action, although probably less necessary than he thinks. 

I have just found that this mural is entitled "Bubbles". (13 October 2017)