Are humans natural speciesists?

An ethical cornerstone of the animal protection movement is that elevating the interests of humans over other animals – is, like sexism, racism, or homophobia – a form of discrimination that is ethically unjustified. Yet, most people intuitively value human lives over the lives of other species. Studies using hypothetical moral dilemmas suggest that the moral rule «spare people over animals» is culturally universal in adults. But in these situations, children typically make the opposite decision – they elect to save dogs, cats, and even pigs at the expense of human lives. These studies raise important questions about the universality of moral principles, the relative importance of socialization and cognitive development in our beliefs about the use of other species, and the roles of emotion and rationality in human moral judgment.