Argument for Animal Rights Essay - 1194 Words

Argument for Animal Rights The argument for animal rights assumes that animals posses their own lives and deserve to be assigned rights in order to protect their wellbeing. This view insists that animals are not merely goods utilised only to benefit mankind and they should be allowed to choose how they want to live their lives, free from the constraints of man. But if animals are given absolute rights, then surely they shouldn’t be allowed to kill each other, as this would be a violation of these rights. Should murderous animals be administered prison sentences or even†¦capital punishment? One method of preventing animals killing each other would be to provide animals with a vegetarian†¦show more content†¦This is ironic because we are moral beings and can think about our actions, yet we kill and mistreat animals as they are lesser beings and can’t think about their actions. However, before we can answer the question of whether or not animals have the right to kill each other, we must ask whether or not they even have rights. It can be argued that, as greater beings, we should take responsibility for the wellbeing of those species that are less developed than us, rather than using our power to manipulate and exploit them. According to Rawls’s contractualism, animals are not rational agents and humans are. This implies that, as humans are the ones who have created the concept of rights, they should only apply to humans. However, Peter Carruthers extends this theory so that it defends the rights of animals. He suggests that a rational agent could enter into a contract for an animal, representing their interests in ‘the formulation of the basic contract’. There are also some human beings who cannot speak for themselves or question their actions, for example, fetuses, infants, the comatose, the senile and the severely retarded. These people are still assigned rights despite the fact that they are not moral agents. They may make the same simple instinctive decisions as animals, yet are g iven rights based upon their species. It can beShow MoreRelatedThe Argument Of Animal Rights2068 Words   |  9 Pagesrhetorical, but the fact is animals live through this everyday, without even given the choice. As humans, we establish our authority among all living beings, but for what reasons? Are humans better than all other species? Or is it true that we should hold a precedence over nonhuman animals? The ultimate question then remains, should animals have as much or equal to the same rights as humans? Their are endless arguments for and against this question, and many sub arguments that go hand in hand withRead MoreArgument Paper on Animal Rights2395 Words   |  10 Pagesconditions for non-human animals. 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According to Singer, â€Å"the basic principle of equality†¦is equality of consideration; and equal consideration for different beings may lead to differentRead MoreAnimal Rights Philosophy768 W ords   |  4 Pagesissue of animal rights, Carl Cohen takes on the perspective of a reformist. This means that he accepts animal experimentation and meat eating, but believes that these institutions need to be improved upon. Cohen approaches the issue of animal rights using the ideas of obligations and rights, with not only the reformist perspective, but with the speciesist perspective. The conclusion he draws is that animals do not necessarily have rights just because humans have moral obligations to animals. CohenRead MoreEqual Rights for Animals in Peter Singer’s Article, All Animals are Equal652 Words   |  3 PagesAll Animals are Equal, Singer claims that animals deserve the same equal rights and respect that the human lives get. 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In his essay â€Å"The case of animal rights†, Tom Regan, a professor of philosophy at North Carolina State University, defends his view that the center of our moral concern should not bring the suffering on animal as