一個動物各種表述：動物保護法制的虛像與實質

Abstract

本文係以我國動物保護法制作為主要的研究對象，以其為中心，所要處理的問題分別是｢人類為什麼應該保護動物實體？｣、｢人類是如何保護動物實體？｣、｢動物實體於人類所建立的動物保護法制中有無受到保護？｣、｢若否，則其原因為何？｣及｢動物保護法制所要保護者究竟為何？｣。為了回答上述一連串的問題，本文將論述內容區分為三大部分：倫理世界中的｢動物｣、法律世界的｢動物｣及符號世界中的｢動物｣，筆者將試圖以動物倫理學來回答第一個問題，其中包含有｢存有序列｣論、動物福利論、動物權利論及動物正義論，及以大陸法系中德日及我國之動物保護法制之規範結構之分析來回答第二個問題，並嘗試以符號學的角度去觀察身處於法律此一符號體系中的動物實體是如何被符號體系決定其自身之命運。

This thesis will focus on the animal protection law system of Taiwan, and tries to explore the following questions：(A) “Why do humans have to protect animals?” ; (B) “How do legislators construct the animal protection law system?” ; (C) “Are animals indeed protected from disadvantages and exploitation by human acts through the animal protection law system?” ; (D) “If in fact animals are not able to ‘be protected’ through the animal protection law system, what are supposed to be the reasons? ” ; and (E) ”What does the animal protection law system actually intend to protect? ”. In order to answer these questions mentioned above, this thesis is divided in three parts：(A) the image of animals under the discourses of ethics, including the theory of “the great chain of beings”, animal welfarism, animal right theory, and animal justice theory ; (B) the image of animals under the animal protection law system, and (C) the image of animals made by the mechanism of signs which is able to “make world arbitrarily”. This thesis attempts to answer the first question through animal ethics, and to answer the second question by analyzing the structure of Tierschutzgesetz (Germany), The Law for Welfare and Proper Management of Animals (Japan), and Animal Protection Act (Taiwan). Furthermore, based on the aspects of semiology, it finally attempts to observe how lives of animals are decided by ways of operating with the signs which are generally represented in the animal protection law system.