Animal Rights
Last updated
Last updated
Sentience is the minimum required trait for ethical relevancy. Suffering: If something isn't sentient, it cannot feel pain nor anything at all, since feeling is a conscious experience (separate from nociception). Therefore the concept of suffering and enjoyment only applies to sentient individuals. Rights: If something isn't sentient, it has no interests to consider. Someone cannot be a moral subject without having a subjective experience. To then go beyond this and discriminate by species (speciesism), would require justification. Attempts at such justifications typically fail the name the trait (NTT) test, are abjectly fallacious, or argue for nihilism (which is often actually dishonest or incongruous with the arguer's true axioms). "The question is not 'Can they reason?' nor 'Can they talk?' but 'Can they suffer?'" - Jeremy Bentham Therefore, sentient animals have rights. They have inherent value separate from what material gain can be exploited out of their bodies.
It is entirely arbitrary to say that humans are worthy of moral consideration but other beings who are sentient just like us are not. Humans, dogs, cats, rabbits, cows, fish, etc. - from the charismatic to the misunderstood - we are all conscious individuals having an experience of life with interests worthy of consideration. To violate and/or end the life and wellbeing of another sentient individual needlessly, where a practicable peaceful alternative exists, is unjustifiable. Therefore, wherever possible and practicable, we have a moral obligation not to. This is the definition of veganism - a moral philosophy of not participating in causing needless harm or rights violations to sentient individuals, regardless of species, as far as practicable. Even the oldest definitions of veganism echo this sentiment: "Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals"