The Case for Animal Rights"Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Kant, Bentham, Mill: all thought seriously about the role of animals in our lives. But not until Tom Regan published The Case for Animal Rights did the world possess a theory of the rights of animals. When philosophy students come to this issue hundreds of years from now, they will read the greats in light of the arguments presented here."—Gary L. Comstock, editor of Life Science Ethics "Tom Regan's now classic Case For Animal Rights blends careful argument with intense moral concern. For two decades, where Regan has been taken seriously, animals have been better off and people have become better persons. This new edition is a welcome sign of this influence continuing."—Holmes Rolston, III, University Distinguished Professor, Colorado State University "A bold and nuanced analysis of the inherent value and moral standing of nonhuman animals. It may also be the most consistent and unyielding defense of animal rights."—Tom L. Beauchamp, Georgetown University "The most powerful and plausible consideration of the issues and defense of animal rights yet to be produced (or likely to be)."—Richard Wasserstrom "By far the best work on the subject, and will continue to be the definitive work for years to come . . . .[It is] destined to become a 'modern classic' in the field of ethics, alongside Rawls’s A Theory of Justice and Nozick’s Anarchy, State, and Utopia."—Alastair S. Gunn, coauthor of Hold Paramount Praise for the first edition: "Unquestionably the best work yet to appear in its field, surpassing even Peter Singer's famous Animal Liberation in originality, thoroughness, and rigor."—Choice "The Case for Animal Rights is beyond question the most important philosophical contribution to animal rights and is a major work in moral philosophy."—Animal Law Review "The most powerful and plausible consideration of the issues and defense of animal rights yet to be produced (or likely to be)."—Richard Wasserstrom, author of Philosophy and Social Issues (1980) |
What people are saying - Write a review
meow...cats!
Congratulations for this great study Tom Regan. It is great in the way it recognizes its weaknesses and puts a monumental effort into getting a systematic understanding of animals and the way we should treat them. Main problem from a sociological point of view, in my opinion, is that animals are just another group being discriminated. The symptoms are all there: under estimation; mistreatment; all differences exaggerated and similarities diminished; and so on. Also the way science uses animals for research, practically the same way it did thousands of years ago (we have the roman surgeons example, don't remember his name), is a proof of how little science has evolved in terms of ethics of practice. The reason for that I think is that scientists, in general, don't want such stalling, so Descartes superficial line of thinking is enough for them.
Thanks for sailing of the coast Tom Regan and keep up the good work!
Contents
Preface to the 2004 Edition | xi |
Preface to the First Edition | li |
Acknowledgments Ivii | 1 |
THE COMPLEXITY OF ANIMAL AWARENESS | 34 |
ANIMAL WELFARE | 82 |
ETHICAL THINKING AND THEORY | 121 |
INDIRECT DUTY VIEWS | 150 |
DIRECT DUTY VIEWS | 195 |
5 Utilitarianism and Speciesism | 226 |