Intentionality and the Welfare of Minded Non-Humans

In this paper we discuss the conditions for the possession of intentional states (especially beliefs) and for intentional agency. We then explore the implications of an analysis of intentionality in non-human animals for their entitlement to ethical treatment, and review the potential advantages and epistemological difficulties of relying on the scientific study of animal mindedness to draw ethical conclusions. In the end, we argue that ethical debates on the treatment of animals, and in particular considerations about welfare, can benefit considerably from the enterprise of exploring the extent to which non-human animals are minded.