Should Animals Deserve Rights?

For many years there has been an ongoing debate on whether or not animals should be given rights, even there own bill of rights. Some who are against the animal bill of rights argue that testing products on animals is important to the safety of humans. Others who want the new bill of rights claim that animals have feelings and that science is treating them inhumanely. Animal activists also add that animals are intelligent beings and are aware of how they are treated. Based on science proving animal activists correct on many of their points, this calls for a new bill of rights, in the United States, especially written for the protection and care of wild and domestic animals.

Is it ethical for animals to have the same rights as humans? During this paper I will present the views of both sides. I will try my best to give the reader a chance to come to there own unbiased conclusion. I will talk about the key areas of animal ethics. I will present the facts and reasoning behind the arguments over Animal cruelty, testing, hunting, and improper housing. My conclusion will hopefully bring us closer to answering many of the question surrounding “Animal Rights and Ethics”.

Animals share the same right as human beings. To have a right is to have a claim or entitlement to something and to have that claim recognized by others. There are two types or rights; legal and moral rights. Legal rights are comulgated by law making part of government. Moral rights are stems from reason and worth for example life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. I believe animals share both rights because the only difference between human beings and animals is basically the ability to speak.

It is obvious that humans and non-human animals are different in terms of rational thought, abilities, and capabilities (Wolfe 569). Therefore, it becomes meaningless to talk of rights from a standard set viewpoint. It is like measuring items although the measuring units are different; grams for weight and liters for liquids.

Throughout history, humans have utilized nonhuman animals for the benefit of mankind. This tendency increased as civilization developed, and presently, necessitated by staggering population growth and technological progress, human use of animals has skyrocketed. We eat them, we breed them, we use them as test subjects. Some people have begun to question the ethics of it all, sparking a debate on animal treatment and whether or not they have rights. In a paper on the subject, Carl Cohen lays out his definition of rights, explains their relationship with obligations, and uses these ideas to present the argument that manifests clearly in his piece’s title, “Why Animals Have No Rights”. THESIS

When a cause is brought up and given light, it has a way of splitting people in how they react to it. And such has been true when it comes to granting new rights, because it’s brobdingnagian in our society that is always hungry for freedoms. We are split down the middle on whether, or not to consider animals, just like us, and thus deserve the rights we hold in our society today. On the other end, are people who don’t believe such rights should be given to animals. While the pro-arguments hold value, there is much more to see on the other end. As to why animals shouldn’t have a “Bill of Rights” like we as humans do. It’s shown in various different ways, even the most popular arguments held by the opposing side. Such as cows hurting the environment, zoo’s being inhumane, and pets. There are other factors as well to take into consideration such as food, psychology medicine, and even culture.

Animal rights are another issue we are facing right now. There are many who believe that they have no rights, others say that they have the same rights as humans and others are in the middle of these two extremes issues. The topic is very complex because if animals have rights which one are those since the only way to protect them is by regulating them on how are they are treated or how can they be used. Animals are used in many ways such as food, medicine, research, cosmetics, cloth and sport among many other ways. Many who believe that the reason animals have no rights is because of the lack perception where they don’t feel or have pain like humans. There is no doubt that animals feel pain or pleasure and just for that reason they have rights, some people say. On the other hand, we cannot compare animals to humans because they are indeed different and for that reason, they cannot have the same rights. For example, animals can’t vote.

“Nearly as many, 68 percent, were concerned or very concerned about the well-being of animals used in ‘sports’ or contests as well as animals in laboratories (67 percent) (Kretzer, 1).” Many people question whether an animal is capable of thought and emotions. Others feel as though animals are the equivalent of humans and should be treated as such. Since the 1800’s, animal rights has been a topic that has several different sides including two extremes. If animals can react to their environment, emote, and are aware of things done to or with them, then they should have similar rights to humans.

o domesticate animals such as dogs, goats, chickens, sheep, and beasts of burden between 10,000 and 18,000 years ago. Many people originally believed that because animals had no souls they also felt no pain; however, this belief changed as the study of animals increased. The first animal-protection law in western civilization was adopted in 1641; making it illegal to “exercise any Tirranny or Crueltie towards any bruite Creature which are usuallie kept for man’s use.” (7) In 1789, the English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, was the first to state that animals have rights. This concept was different from the belief that animals felt pain, in his claims animals deserved basic human rights. This new theory shook the foundation of many peoples belief in what animal rights truly is. In 1821, Maine became the first state to adopt modern anti-cruelty laws for the U.S.; every other state eventually passed similar legislation. It still wasn’t until the 21st century that lawsuits in the interest of animals became common. The animal rights movement has become most active in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Animal rights organizations have been using court systems to protect animals from being used in harmful activities, such as the agricultural industry and as being research subjects, in the belief that they have the same basic rights as all humans.

Seems rhetorical, 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 with each side. In this paper, I will discuss the definition of what animal rights entails and expand on the history that developed it’s meaning. Furthermore, I will thoroughly discuss, reason, and explain each opinion presented by our current society as well as the positions held by previous philosophers. Lastly, I will draw a conclusion to the opinions presented by discussing my personal position on the argument of animal rights.

We eat meat, we use woollen clothes. Sometimes we buy pets, such as-cat, puppy, bird etc. as our hobby. Zoo was our favourite place when we were child. We pass our time watching various types of animals in National Geography channel. After all these, we never give our attention to what impact they have for our activities. There is always a question about ‘’animal rights’’. Though both human and animal are the creation of God, human being never faces that much argument about having rights but animal does. After studying on this topic, I understood that Most of the argument goes against having animal rights. There are less right preserved for non-human being in environmental ethics.

Throughout history morality has been a topic of intense debate. Innumerable thinkers have devoted immense amounts of time and energy to the formulation of various ethical theories intended to assist humans in their daily lives. These theories set out guidelines which help to determine the rightness or wrongness of any given action and can therefore illuminate which choice would be morally beneficial. And while many of these theories differ substantially, most have at least one common underlying principle, namely that humans deserve to be treated with a certain level of respect. This idea comes from the belief that all humans have interests which are significant enough to be considered, hence no one should impede another

One of the reasons animals should have certain rights are; animals have a wide range of emotions and have self-awareness, which is contrary to our preconceived notions that animals live only in the moment, have no sense of their own self, lack morals, and do not suffer as human do. Animals consciously know that they exist. They plan their lives, to some extent, and the quality and length of their lives matter to them. Animals know what is happening to them and feel pain as humans do. They prefer some things to others, and have dislikes; this was thought to be an unique human trait. Animals make

Animal rights is not just a philosophy, but a kind of social movement that challenges this society’s view that all nonhuman animals only exist for the sole purpose of human’s benefit. It’s the idea that all non-human animals are entitled to possession of their own lives and that their basic interests should be afforded the same consideration at basic interests of humans. It’s not about putting an animal above a human, or giving an animal the same rights a human is entitled to. Every creature has a will to live free from suffering and pain. Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on a reason or an actual experience. Only prejudice allows humans to deny others all the rights we expect to have. Whether that is based on race, gender, species, or sexual orientation, prejudice is morally unacceptable. Knowing what animal rights are is important because awareness needs to be raised on the subject. That way, more legislature may be put in place to stop all forms of animal cruelty.

Animal rights are an important topic to discuss and review. The trouble is the vast diversity of how people see humans and animals and how they are different and yet the same. Animals are in every aspect of our lives in how they are utilized to make our lives easier, to sustain us, or as a pet. Unfortunately, the line of animals and humans blurs as the widely known belief that we are a derivation of an animal and we should treat them as we would ourselves. This viewpoint, however, can be taken to an extreme as we see pets that can be pampered quite a bit. Relating back to the four authors in our text, there is considerable controversy on how animals should be treated. While some interesting positions arise with the various authors, to