Mixing Society and Morals

Question 1: If we were to give non-humans the same moral standards as humans, how would that change our society?

I find this to be a really interesting notion.  It may seem silly to some that we as humans could expect from a non-human the same level of moral behavior as we would from, say, our best friend. If we considered this notion, what would it take to actually do this? To what extent would we extend these morals, and how could we do so? I feel as though I have not come to a conclusion as much as I am left wondering more. If we were somehow to impose on non-humans the same moral standards as we do on humans our society would be very different. With the non-humans added there would be new moral codes of conduct and new issues to evaluate to include these non-humans. I think with this, yes we would have a change in our society or our society would have to change in order to include these non-humans and their morals, especially since these might not be the same morals we possess. They would have to be considered on a different level to be more inclusive.

Cognitive Abilities and Moral Standards

Question 2: What role does cognitive ability play in the moral standards we can expect of non-humans?

When we think of ethics and the fact that it takes into account humans and their functions, limits, and abilities it would seem as though those same things would be key factors in considering the moral standards to which we can hold non-humans. I believe the abilities and limits humans have make it so we have moral limits that we cannot pass; therefore, it is harder to impose moral standards on non-humans that may not be able to understand the reasons that they should meet any such ethical standards. So, I would say yes, cognitive ability does play a role, perhaps even a big part, in the idea of giving non-humans the same moral standards as humans. I also believe that this factor would change whether we give non-humans moral value or not.