Animal Rights: A Topic Debated For Centuries

Animal rights is a topic that has been debated for centuries by philosophers, scientists, and advocates because they believe that animals are sentient beings who have cognitive, emotional, and social lives and can experience physical or emotional pain or pleasure.

But in easy words, what are animal rights? According to The Humane League, animal rights are moral principles grounded in the belief that non-human animals deserve the ability to live as they wish without being subjected to the desires of human beings.

Philosophers, scientists, and advocates believe that animals have fundamental rights to be treated with respect as individuals, such as the right to life, liberty, and freedom from torture.

Some of the issues that animal rights advocates focus on are: 

• The uses of animals for food, clothing, entertainment, research, and experimentation
• The destruction of animal habitats and ecosystems by human activities
• The legal status of animals and their protection under the law
• The moral and ethical implications of human-animal relationships

On the other hand, animal research is one of the more debated topics around animal rights. I’ve listened to an episode of a podcast about it; scientists who do animal research have adverse effects on their mental health; it is called compassion fatigue, and they suffer from stigma from society.

We must protect animals because they are not objects, machines, or resources; they are living beings who share this planet with us and have their interests, needs, and feelings.

Humans kill, abuse, or exploit billions of animals daily for various purposes, such as food, clothing, entertainment, research, or experimentation.

For instance, some countries have banned or restricted animal testing, hunting, fur farming, circuses, or factory farming. Some countries have also declared that animals are not property but sentient beings who deserve respect and care.

I love animals; how not to love them, right?

Sources:

• Animal Rights: Definition, Issues, and Examples – The Humane League. https://thehumaneleague.org/article/animal-rights.
• Animal rights | Definition, Issues, & History | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/animal-rights.
• Image: Pixabay