The Animal Rights Debate - Rights And Society, History Of The Animal Rights Debate, Philosophical Arguments, Practical Implications, Public Opinion
According to Webster's dictionary, a right is "a power or privilege to which one is justly entitled." Sociologists James Jasper and Dorothy Nelkin define a right as "a moral trump card that cannot be disputed." The phrase "human rights" came into usage during the late 1700s to refer to generally recognized privileges (or
freedoms) that every person should enjoy.
The United Nations (UN) has a Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that reads: "Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person." The UDHR specifies dozens of particular human rights, including the right to be free from slavery, torture, and cruel or degrading treatment. Other rights involve equal
protection under the law, fair and public trials, freedom of mo…
Most historians note that the modern animal rights movement began during the 1970s. But the roots of the movement date back much farther, to a handful of philosophers and thinkers. Celsus was a second-century Greek writer who argued against the Jewish/Christian belief that humans are morally superior to animals. Celsus pointed
out that animals might actually be more favored by God because they do …
At the base of the animal rights debate is philosophy. Philosophical discussions involve abstract ideas and theories about questions of ethics and morality. These can be difficult subjects to comprehend and apply to real-life situations, but philosophy is important because it explains people's motivations and why people feel
the way they do about a particular issue. Philosophical arguments …
Assuming that animals have rights would have massive consequences to society. If animals have moral rights to life and freedom from bodily interference, then they cannot be purposely killed, harmed, or kept in captivity by humans. Billions of domesticated animals would be spared slaughter and would have to be released from
cages and pens. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which c…
In May 2003 the Gallup Organization conducted a poll to determine Americans' opinions regarding animal rights issues. The results are based on telephone interviews with 1,005 adults aged eighteen and up. As shown in Figure 2.1, 25% of those asked believed that animals deserve the same rights as people. A large majority (72%)
said that animals deserve some protection, but can still be used t…
Please include a link to this page if you have found this material useful for research or writing a related article. Content on this website is from high-quality, licensed material originally published in print form. You can always be sure you're reading unbiased, factual, and accurate information.
Highlight the text below, right-click, and select “copy”. Paste the link into your website, email, or any other HTML document.
User Comments