Why Animals Have No Rights Essay - 1365 Words

Throughout history, humans have utilized nonhuman animals for the benefit of mankind. This tendency increased as civilization developed, and presently, necessitated by staggering population growth and technological progress, human use of animals has skyrocketed. We eat them, we breed them, we use them as test subjects. Some people have begun to question the ethics of it all, sparking a debate on animal treatment and whether or not they have rights. In a paper on the subject, Carl Cohen lays out his definition of rights, explains their relationship with obligations, and uses these ideas to present the argument that manifests clearly in his piece’s title, â€Å"Why Animals Have No Rights†. THESIS Cohen defines rights as â€Å"a claim that one party may exercise against another†(339). He explains that there are many different types of rights: some moral, some legal; some held by a single person, others held by groups; all differing in what the right entitles one to. Above all this, however, Cohen stresses that rights are a concept rooted in morality. They arise out of the necessity for self-governance among a community, providing standards of conduct that beget personal protection and safety. Therefore, the argument continues that the holders of rights must only be those who are capable of comprehending such concepts as morality and duty and right against wrong. After all, standards can only be held to subjects capable of understanding and achieving them. Because humans are the onlyShow MoreRelatedWhy Animals Shouldn t Have A Bill Of Rights1503 Words   |  7 Pageswhen it comes to granting new rights, because it’s brobdingnagian in our society that is always hu ngry for freedoms. We are split down the middle on whether, or not to consider animals, just like us, and thus deserve the rights we hold in our society today. On the other end, are people who don’t believe such rights should be given to animals. While the pro-arguments hold value, there is much more to see on the other end. As to why animals shouldn’t have a â€Å"Bill of Rights† like we as humans do. It’sRead MoreAnimal Rights Should Be Legal1240 Words   |  5 Pagesresearch paper will be talking about animal rights. Animal rights is the rights for animals to be free of medical research, hunting, clothing, food, and entertainment. It is the belief that all animals are entitled to the possession of their own lives and should not have to suffer from humans. (Liou, 2010) The belief is opposite of those who believe in speciesism. Speciesism is the idea that humans and their rights are above animals. The people who are against animal rights are known as s peciesist. (Bennett-JonesRead MoreThe Fight For Animal Rights1660 Words   |  7 PagesRise of the Movement why did it come about? why did it appeal to people? The fight for animal rights is one that has been going on for centuries. â€Å"The new emphasis upon animals feelings of sensation in the eighteenth century brought growing criticism of some forms of cruelty. Doubts about the ethics of castrating domestic animals were raised as early as 1714. (Guither, 1998, p.1) According to Guither (1998), London was the first to encourage the prevention of animal cruelty in 1824 where itRead MoreThe Ethics Of Animal And Animal Rights990 Words   |  4 PagesThe study of good and bad, right and wrong, moral principles or value held by a person or society, promoting human welfare, maximizing freedom minimizing pain and suffering is called ethics. The discipline that studies the moral relationship of human beings and also the value and moral status of the environment and its non-human contents is called environmental ethics. It considers the ethical relationship between the humans and the environment. 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Others feel as though animals are the equivalent of humans and should be treated as such. Since the 1800’s, animal rights has been a topic that has several different sides including two extremes. If animals can react to theirRead MoreA Brief Note On Animal Rights And Welfare1137 Words   |  5 PagesGarrett Sargent Paper 5 – Animal Rights and Welfare 11 June 2015 Section 1 Singer is a utilitarian that promotes all animals are equal, however, believes that some animals have different capacities for pain and happiness (text, 119). The latter part of the last statement is used to defend why saving a human is better than saving an animal, and also why a hunter is not equivalent to a murderer. As a utilitarian, Singer believes in maximizing good and is why he is able to claim that it is betterRead MoreAnimal Testing is Wrong! Essay923 Words   |  4 Pagesis how animals everyday are treated, we have to stop this now! 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One of the many reasonsRead MoreAnimals And Society : An Introduction To Human Animal Studies907 Words   |  4 PagesScientifically testing an animal is another way people abuse animals. When testing on animals, it causes them harm throughout their life. In the book Titled â€Å"Animals and Society: An introduction to Human-Animal Studies† by Margo DeMello he explains how animals hurt from birth to their last breathe. DeMello says, â€Å"Animals used for medical experiments and product testing live – from birth until death – often painful, lonely lives in small cages† (p. 237). These animals are kept in laboratories to test