Animal rights

Animal rights is the view that animals possess moral claims that constrain how humans may treat them, including claims against exploitation or suffering.

Moral status: The standing of a being as deserving moral consideration for its own sake. Animal-rights arguments begin by asking whether animals have standing beyond their usefulness to humans.
Utilitarianism: An ethical theory that evaluates actions by their consequences for overall well-being. Utilitarian arguments count animal suffering and compare it with the benefits of human practices.
Jeremy Bentham: An English philosopher and legal reformer who founded modern utilitarianism. Bentham argued that the ability to suffer, not the ability to reason, matters for moral consideration.
Tom Regan: An American philosopher who argued that many animals are subjects-of-a-life with inherent value. Regan defended rights against consequentialist approaches by grounding them in animals' inherent value.
Animal liberation movement: A social movement opposing the exploitation of animals and seeking their liberation from human uses. It translates animal-rights arguments into organizing, advocacy, and direct political action.
Sentience: The capacity to have subjective experiences, including sensations such as pain and pleasure. Sentience supplies a widely used basis for attributing interests that rights might protect.
Deontology: An ethical approach that judges actions by duties and constraints rather than consequences alone. Deontological accounts can treat animals as beings humans must not use merely as tools.
Henry Stephens Salt: An English writer and reformer who published Animals' Rights in 1892. Salt made an explicit case for animal rights in a formative work of the movement.
Gary Francione: An American legal scholar who advocates abolition of animals' property status and use. Francione's abolitionist view rejects welfare reforms that leave animals legally treated as property.
Animal law: The body of laws concerning animals, including their treatment, ownership, and protection. Animal-rights arguments challenge legal systems that recognize animals mainly as property.

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