Animal Rights

1
Animal Rights
2
What is a right?

• Something that the law allows you to have/do
• An entitlement that is protected by the law
• A privilege / benefit granted to everyone

3
Can animals have the same rights as humans?

• Some people say yes and some say no

4
Can Animals Have The Same Rights as Humans

• No, because
• They cannot defend their rights
• Animals do not see themselves as having a past or
  future
• Animals have to adapt to their environment
• Some people believe that God put man in charge of
  animals so animals must be less important than
  humans

5
Can animals have the same rights as humans?

• No, because
• They cannot exercise their rights eg. right to
  free speech, right to religion, freedom from
  arrest. Cannot defend their rights
• Animals unlike humans are not self conscious.
  They do not see themselves as having a past and
  future
• Animals do not choose how to live - they have to
  adapt themselves to the environment
• For some its the belief that man was created by
  God as his most important creation so animals are
  of less importance
• God appointed man as his steward deputy on
  earth and told to rule over the animals
  (dominion). Some people believe this means man
  can use animals in any way he chooses.

6
Can animals have the same rights as humans?

• Yes, because
• They feel pain and suffer
• They show pleasure and experience happiness
• People are given rights even if they are not
  capable of exercising them eg because of ill
  health
• We give rights to children even if they are not
  self conscious or autonomous and even though they
  can not defend them.
• For some people its simply that, as living beings
  that share our planet, they deserve the same
  treatment as we grant to human beings.

7
Do animals deserve rights?

• Some would say that, even if they can not be
  given the same rights as humans, animals deserve
  -
• To be respected as living beings
• Have the right not to be abused and exploited (
  taken advantage of )
• They should be protected and not harmed
  unnecessarily

8
How can man use animals?

• For food?
• For medical research?
• For sport?
• For friendship?
• For transport?
• For entertainment?
• To help the disabled?
• For work?

9
Should all animals be treated the same?

• Is it all right to kill a rat because its a
  pest, but not right to kill a fox by hunting it?
• Is it right to experiment on a mouse but not a
  dog or a chimpanzee
• Is it right to breed pigs for food but not breed
  animals for experiments?