What Are Animal Rights For?
By Steve Cooke
ISBN
978-1529228410Dimensions
203 x 127 mmImprint
Bristol University PressISBN
978-1529228427Dimensions
203 x 127 mmImprint
Bristol University PressISBN
978-1529228427Dimensions
203 x 127 mmImprint
Bristol University Press
What Are Animal Rights For?
On the blog:
How should we treat animals? The long-held belief that other animals exist solely for human use has undergone radical challenge in the past half century. How much further do we need to go to minimize, and even eliminate, animal suffering?
The field of animal rights raises big questions about how humans treat the other animals with which we share the planet. These questions are becoming more pressing as livestock farming exerts an ever-greater toll on the planet and the animals themselves, and we learn more about their capacity to think and experience pain. This book shows why animals ought to have greater rights and what the world might look like if they did.
“In this extraordinary book, the animals we share the world with receive the justice and gratitude they so deserve. Perhaps this is a ‘game-changer’ – and it comes not a moment too soon.” Virginia McKenna, Born Free Foundation
“It is amazing how much Steve Cooke has packed into this fantastic book: from classical debates on the rights of animals, to cutting-edge analysis of the strategies of animal activists. This is a must-read for all those concerned with the plight of animals in contemporary societies." Alasdair Cochrane, University of Sheffield
“Draws out the pivotal role of animal rights in building a world where both humans and animals live well. And it does so in a way that avoids treating rights as a fix-all for our many and complex problems.” Tony Milligan, King’s College London
“An impressively concise yet powerful introduction to the intellectual history of animal rights and their important role in contemporary discourse and the shaping of a better future … a must-read for anyone who has wondered whether other animals have rights as humans do.” Angie Pepper, University of Roehampton
“Readers of this admirably clear little book will become acquainted with both the history of animal-friendly thought and some of the most contentious practical debates in animal ethics today. Anyone who wants to get to grips with what animal rights are all about could do much worse than start here.” Josh Milburn, Loughborough University
Steve Cooke is Associate Professor of Political Theory at the University of Leicester. Previously, he held positions on animal rights theory and environmental politics at the University of Sheffield and Keele University and was the Society for Applied Philosophy’s 30th Anniversary Postdoctoral Fellow for a project on animal rights and environmental terrorism.
1. Introduction
2. A Brief Intellectual History of Animal Rights
3. Rights, Interests and Choices
4. Case Studies: Animals in the Farm, Home, Zoo and Lab
5. Emerging issues: From Mollusc Rights to Animal Citizens
6. Engaging the Imagination: Turning Prejudice into Compassion
7. Conclusion: Beyond Animal Rights?
