What is animal rights?
Back to Topic
Click to Print
Useful Websites
Glossary Term Selection
People who support animal rights recognise that all animals have an inherent worth – a value completely separate from their usefulness to humans. We believe that every being with a will to live has the right to live free from exploitation and suffering.
Here are a few ways of understanding this vibrant, exciting movement.
It’s a philosophy
Animal rights is based on ethical and moral philosophy. It has been discussed by some of the world’s most influential thinkers, from historical figures such as Pythagoras and Leonardo da Vinci – who embraced vegetarianism – to Jeremy Bentham, the founder of the utilitarian school of philosophy, who famously identified animals’ capacity for suffering as the characteristic that gives them a right to equal consideration.
‘The question is not “Can they reason?” nor “Can they talk?” but “Can they suffer?’’’
– Jeremy Bentham
All animals have the ability to suffer in the same way and to the same degree that humans do. They feel pain, pleasure, fear, f...
Want to see the rest of this article?
Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?
- Useful related articles
- Video and multimedia references
- Statistical information and reference material
- Glossary of terms
- Key Facts and figures
- Related assignments
- Resource material and websites
