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The Animal Question: Why Nonhuman Animals Deserve Human Rights
How much do animals matter--morally? Can we keep considering them as second class beings, to be used merely for our benefit? Or, should we offer them some form of moral egalitarianism? Inserting itself into the passionate debate over animal rights, this fascinating, provocative work by renowned scholar Paola Cavalieri advances a radical that we extend basic human rights to the nonhuman animals we currently treat as "things."
Cavalieri first goes back in time, tracing the roots of the debate from the 1970s, then explores not only the ethical but also the scientific viewpoints, examining the debate's precedents in mainstream Western philosophy. She considers the main proposals of reform that recently have been advanced within the framework of today's prevailing ethical perspectives. Are these proposals satisfying? Cavalieri says no, claiming that it is necessary to go beyond the traditional opposition between utilitarianism and Kantianism and focus on the question of fundamental moral protection. In the case of human beings, such protection is granted within the widely shared moral doctrine of universal human rights' theory. Cavalieri argues that if we examine closely this theory, we will discover that its very logic extends to nonhuman animals as beings who are owed basic moral and legal rights and that, as a result, human rights are not human after all.
Cavalieri first goes back in time, tracing the roots of the debate from the 1970s, then explores not only the ethical but also the scientific viewpoints, examining the debate's precedents in mainstream Western philosophy. She considers the main proposals of reform that recently have been advanced within the framework of today's prevailing ethical perspectives. Are these proposals satisfying? Cavalieri says no, claiming that it is necessary to go beyond the traditional opposition between utilitarianism and Kantianism and focus on the question of fundamental moral protection. In the case of human beings, such protection is granted within the widely shared moral doctrine of universal human rights' theory. Cavalieri argues that if we examine closely this theory, we will discover that its very logic extends to nonhuman animals as beings who are owed basic moral and legal rights and that, as a result, human rights are not human after all.
- GenresAnimalsPhilosophy
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 18, 2010
This book helped me finally understand the concept of animal personhood. I still remember how exciting it was to read it - it really opened my eyes!
March 28, 2020
Un saggio filosofico complesso ma a mio parere molto interessante. L'autrice si muove tra le teorie morali di grandi autori del passato e contemporanei con molto rispetto, e cerca di argomentare a favore delle proprie posizioni nel modo più completo e razionale possibile.
L'aspetto che più mi ha conquistato di questo saggio è che con questo approccio, lontano da ogni estremismo o assunzione di principio, l'autrice arriva comunque a risultati radicali: mette in discussione tutto ciò che diamo per scontato nel delineare la nostra morale e rifiuta tutti quegli assiomi morali che nascondono in realtà la codificazione di pregiudizi comuni.
L'aspetto che più mi ha conquistato di questo saggio è che con questo approccio, lontano da ogni estremismo o assunzione di principio, l'autrice arriva comunque a risultati radicali: mette in discussione tutto ciò che diamo per scontato nel delineare la nostra morale e rifiuta tutti quegli assiomi morali che nascondono in realtà la codificazione di pregiudizi comuni.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews