Hunting for Justification: Arguments for a Real and Ethically Acceptable Prehistoric Hunting Scene

Abstract

To substantiate a filmscript set in the Late Palaeolithic, this thesis explores the ethical case of hunting a wild deer for a film scene. Five conditions are posited that would make this scene ethically acceptable: using the whole animal, choosing an animal that is the target of existing culling policies, showing respect to the animal, donating part of the film’s profits to a wildlife management organization and performing the hunt in strict accordance with local hunting guidelines. After establishing that the scene would be legal to make, the conditions are assessed from three ethical perspectives on hunting. First, animal ethicists like Peter Singer and Tom Regan frame hunting as a breach of wild animals’ individual rights and would reject the posited conditions fully. By contrast, ecological perspectives such as Aldo Leopold accept hunting as a necessary component of the responsible management of nature reserves, as it is needed to prevent overgrazing and subsequent biodiversity loss. Third, several indigenous views are included to further enrich the debate, emphasizing respect, reciprocity, and the spiritual significance of the hunt. The thesis concludes that, when framed within ecological necessity and cultural-historical reflection, such a hunting scene can be ethically justified as both art and environmental engagement