All the arguments to prove mans superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering the animals are our equals.”Peter Singer. How far should animal rights go?
We have to be careful in discussing “rights” of any sort in the context of a thorough-going utilitarianism such as Singer’s. Utilitarians are not comfortable with the concept of “rights” except as shorthand for right actions. That said, Singer does argue that if we insist that humans have rights, we must be able to identify those human characteristics in which those rights are grounded. Once we do, we must be prepared to extend those rights to any other animals that possess such characteristics. If we should not subject humans to unnecessary pain simply because pain is bad, then causing unnecessary pain in nonhuman animals is bad for the very same reason. We know that other animals experience pain for the same reasons that we know/believe other humans feel pain–screaming, writing, etc. Whatever gives humans a right not to be killed (except under extraordinary conditions) would give animals that have that same characteristic the right not to be killed. So, what gives us that right? Is
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