A crucial inquiry for engineers and society at large is presented: Does humanity possess distinctive characteristics that warrant the claim of moral status exclusively to humans, as opposed to non-human animals? The question forces a careful examination of the meaning of the concept of moral value and the distinct categories including intrinsic, instrumental, and relational. To answer this question a range of ethical theories are explored including Utilitarianism, virtue based, Kantian, deep ecology, animal rights, ecological justice, and the capabilities approach.