Steve Sapontzis
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Steven Frederic Sapontzis (born February 9, 1945) is an American
moral philosopher Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied ethics ...
. He is
professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...
of philosophy at
California State University, East Bay California State University, East Bay (Cal State East Bay, CSU East Bay, or CSUEB) is a public university in Hayward, California. The university is part of the California State University system and offers 136 undergraduate and 60 post-baccala ...
and specializes in
animal ethics Animal ethics is a branch of ethics which examines human-animal relationships, the moral consideration of animals and how nonhuman animals ought to be treated. The subject matter includes animal rights, animal welfare, animal law, speciesism, an ...
,
environmental ethics In environmental philosophy, environmental ethics is an established field of practical philosophy "which reconstructs the essential types of argumentation that can be made for protecting natural entities and the sustainable use of natural resourc ...
and
meta-ethics In metaphilosophy and ethics, metaethics is the study of the nature, scope, ground, and meaning of moral judgment, ethical belief, or values. It is one of the three branches of ethics generally studied by philosophers, the others being normativ ...
. His best known work is '' Morals, Reason, and Animals'', published in 1987. Sapontzis' philosophy advocates for extending moral
personhood Personhood is the status of being a person. Defining personhood is a controversial topic in philosophy and law and is closely tied with legal and political concepts of citizenship, equality, and liberty. According to law, only a legal person (ei ...
and ethical consideration to animals based on their capacity for interests and suffering, challenging
anthropocentric Anthropocentrism ( ) is the belief that human beings are the central or most important entity on the planet. The term can be used interchangeably with humanocentrism, and some refer to the concept as human supremacy or human exceptionalism. From a ...
norms and
speciesism Speciesism () is a term used in philosophy regarding the treatment of individuals of different species. The term has several different definitions. Some specifically define speciesism as discrimination or unjustified treatment based on an indivi ...
, and instead promoting empathy, vegan activism, and systemic change to reduce animal exploitation.


Biography


Early life and education

Sapontzis was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, the son of Zissis Peter and Lea Marie Vial Sapontzis on February 9, 1945. He obtained his BA from
Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...
in 1967, his
MPhil A Master of Philosophy (MPhil or PhM; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. The name of the degree is most often abbreviated MPhil (or, at times, as PhM in other countries). MPhil are awarded to postgraduate students after completing at least ...
in 1970, and
PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
from
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
in 1971; his thesis was entitled ''Merleau-Ponty and Philosophical Methodology''.


Career

Sapontzis joined the philosophy faculty at
California State University, East Bay California State University, East Bay (Cal State East Bay, CSU East Bay, or CSUEB) is a public university in Hayward, California. The university is part of the California State University system and offers 136 undergraduate and 60 post-baccala ...
, in 1971, and became
professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...
in 1999. Sapontzis was co-founder, in 1985, of the journal '' Between the Species: A Journal of Ethics'' and served as its initial co-editor''.Stockwell, John (1985).
Editorial
. ''Between the Species'' 1 (1): 1–2.
'' He was a member of the board of the '' American Philosophical Quarterly'' (1991–1994), and sat on the
animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...
research committee at
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL, Berkeley Lab) is a federally funded research and development center in the hills of Berkeley, California, United States. Established in 1931 by the University of California (UC), the laboratory is spo ...
(1986–1990). Sapontzis was also one of the first members of the board of directors of the Society for the Study of Ethics and Animals. Sapontzis has published numerous academic papers and has authored two books. ''Morals, Reason, and Animals'' (1987) examines issues related to speciesism and the moral consideration of nonhuman animals, and has been described by some as a notable and original work of its time. His second book, ''Subjective Morals'', published in 2011, critically examines the foundations, benefits, and harms of
moral values Morality () is the categorization of intentions, decisions and actions into those that are ''proper'', or ''right'', and those that are ''improper'', or ''wrong''. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduc ...
, challenging traditional moral philosophy and proposing ways to balance their positive and negative impacts. He also edited the volume ''Food for Thought: The Debate over Eating Meat'' in 2004.


Personal life

In 1983, Sapontzis and his future wife established Hayward Friends of Animals, to create a volunteer initiative supporting their local municipal
animal shelter An animal shelter or pound is a place where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals – mostly dogs and cats – are housed. The word "pound" has its origins in the animal pounds of the agricultural communities, where stray livestock w ...
. He married Jeanne Marie Gocker on December 25, 1992. They now operate Second Chance, Helping the Pets of People in the Need, an initiative aimed at providing assistance to financially disadvantaged individuals caring for companion animals in California.


Philosophy

Sapontzis challenges traditional
anthropocentric Anthropocentrism ( ) is the belief that human beings are the central or most important entity on the planet. The term can be used interchangeably with humanocentrism, and some refer to the concept as human supremacy or human exceptionalism. From a ...
ethics by advocating for the inclusion of animals within a moral framework based on their capacity for interests and suffering. He argues that moral personhood should not be limited to humans but should extend to any being capable of holding interests, a stance that includes many animals. Sapontzis distinguishes between
metaphysical Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of h ...
personhood Personhood is the status of being a person. Defining personhood is a controversial topic in philosophy and law and is closely tied with legal and political concepts of citizenship, equality, and liberty. According to law, only a legal person (ei ...
, which is tied to being human, and moral personhood, which is based on criteria such as the capacity for rationality, choice, and interests. This distinction enables a broader ethical perspective that moves beyond speciesist boundaries. Sapontzis critiques practices such as humane slaughter, asserting that the mass killing of animals for food inherently involves suffering and the loss of potentially fulfilling lives, even if physical pain is minimized. He argues that true humane treatment would require acknowledging animals' interests and refraining from treating them as mere resources. This critique extends to broader societal norms that prioritize human desires over the well-being of animals, highlighting the ethical inconsistencies in current practices. For Sapontzis, animal liberation is not just about changing laws but about fundamentally altering human attitudes toward animals. He believes that fostering empathy and moral reflection is key to reducing the exploitation of animals.
Vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...
activism and education play an essential role in this process, as they raise awareness about the suffering of animals and encourage shifts in behavior. However, he remains realistic about the challenges of achieving systemic change, emphasizing the importance of incremental improvements, such as better welfare standards and reduced meat consumption, to pave the way for broader ethical transformation.


Selected publications


Books

*'' Morals, Reason, and Animals''.
Temple University Press Temple University Press is a university press founded in 1969 that is part of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). It is one of thirteen publishers to participate in the Knowledge Unlatched pilot, a global library consortium approach ...
, 1987. *(ed.) ''Food for Thought: The Debate over Eating Meat''.
Prometheus Books Prometheus Books is a publishing company founded in August 1969 by the philosopher Paul Kurtz (who was also the founder of the Council for Secular Humanism, Center for Inquiry, and co-founder of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry). The publ ...
, 2004. *''Subjective Morals''.
University Press of America University Press of America (''UPA'') is the former name of an American Academic publishing, academic publishing company based in Lanham, Maryland, which became the parent company of Rowman & Littlefield publishing house, then was later re-intr ...
, 2011.


Papers

* * * * * * * * *


See also

*
List of animal rights advocates Advocates of animal rights believe that many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as in avoiding suffering—should be afforded ...


References


External links

*
Interview
with Claudette Vaughan
30 years since the publication of Morals, reason and animals
Animal Ethics Animal ethics is a branch of ethics which examines human-animal relationships, the moral consideration of animals and how nonhuman animals ought to be treated. The subject matter includes animal rights, animal welfare, animal law, speciesism, an ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sapontzis, Steve 1945 births Living people 20th-century American philosophers 21st-century American philosophers Academics from New York City American animal rights scholars American anti-vivisectionists American ethicists Animal ethicists California State University, East Bay faculty Environmental ethicists Metaphilosophers Organization founders Philosophy journal editors Philosophers from New York (state) Rice University alumni Yale University alumni Publication founders