▁exception al ism ▁could ▁lead ▁to ▁ty ran ny , ▁writing ▁that ▁if ▁we ▁ever ▁came ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁humans ▁do ▁not ▁possess ▁a ▁unique ▁moral ▁status , ▁the ▁intellectual ▁foundation ▁of ▁our ▁libert ies ▁col laps es : ▁" Why , ▁then , ▁should ▁not ▁groups ▁of ▁superior ▁men ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁justify ▁their ▁ens lav ement , ▁explo itation , ▁or ▁even ▁gen o cide ▁of ▁inferior ▁human ▁groups ▁on ▁fact ual ▁and ▁moral ▁grounds ▁a kin ▁to ▁those ▁we ▁now ▁rely ▁on ▁to ▁justify ▁our ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁animals ▁we ▁har ness ▁as ▁be asts ▁of ▁bur den , ▁that ▁we ▁but cher ▁for ▁food ▁and ▁cl othing , ▁or ▁that ▁we ▁destroy ▁as ▁disease - b ear ing ▁p ests ▁or ▁as ▁dangerous ▁pred ators ?" ▁ ▁Author ▁and ▁anth rop oc entr ism ▁def ender ▁Wes ley ▁J . ▁Smith ▁from ▁the ▁Disc overy ▁Institute ▁has ▁written ▁that ▁human ▁exception al ism ▁is ▁what ▁gives ▁rise ▁to ▁human ▁duties ▁to ▁each ▁other , ▁the ▁natural ▁world , ▁and ▁to ▁treat ▁animals ▁human ely . ▁Writing ▁in ▁A ▁Rat ▁is ▁a ▁P ig ▁is ▁a ▁Dog ▁is ▁a ▁Boy , ▁a ▁critique ▁of ▁animal ▁rights ▁ide ology , ▁" B ecause ▁we ▁are ▁un question ably ▁a ▁unique ▁species — the ▁only ▁species ▁capable ▁of ▁even ▁cont empl ating ▁eth ical ▁issues ▁and ▁assuming ▁respons ib ilities — we ▁uniqu ely ▁are ▁capable ▁of ▁app reh ending ▁the ▁difference ▁between ▁right ▁and ▁wrong , ▁good ▁and ▁evil , ▁proper