Drawing the Line: Science and the Case for Animal Rights

by Steven M. Wise

Book Overview

An exploration of the scientific basis for animal rights.

One of those rare books that can change the reader's view of our position in the world and within the animal kingdom, Unlocking the Cage is a landmark both in its scientific insight and in its challenge to the law. As Steven Wise continues his exploration of animal cognition along the evolutionary spectrum -- from apes to dolphins, parrots, elephants, dogs, and even honeybees...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738208108
• ISBN13: 9780738208107
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Pratical solution to animal rights

While Wise believes that all animals should be treated with compassion and kindness, he uses "pratical autonomy" in this book in order to use the legal system. Wise states that in order for courts to actually grant rights to animals there needs to be more than a philosophical reason. Because many humans lack full autonomy, including infants and the handicapped, Wise sets forth a pratical way of granting rights to nonhuman animals. He goes through several species of aniamls and lists evidence for autonomy. I even thought he did not give enough credit to animals and "evidence" that I have read about it. However, this works for his case and skeptical readers. By putting animals in categories, although based on a human yardstick, Wise hopes to grant rights to certain animals.

I never looked back

This is the book which introduced me to the world of animal intelligence and emotion. In Steven Wise's book, he dedicates chapters to an African Grey parrot, a pair of dolphins, an elephant matriarch, an orangutan, Koko the gorilla, Wise's own family dog, and even spends a chapter describing the intricate communication of honeybees. Wise is a lawyer, and so his goal in the book is to analyze whether or not these "nonhuman animals" (I love that wording!) fit the criteria to deserve rights under the law. Some of them do (by his estimation), and some of them don't... but Wise's writing style draws you in and his stories about the various animals he meets are fascinating (my favorite was Alex the parrot). Animal lovers will feel vindicated, and those who are unsure on the subject of animal rights may find themselves swayed by Wise's strong arguments. The writing is a little scientific at times, but the book is well worth the effort!

Succeeds brilliantly

Steven M. Wise's "Drawing the Line" presents a compelling argument for recognizing the rights of "nonhuman" animals. As a lawyer who has taught at Harvard and has championed animal rights for over twenty years, Mr. Wise directs our attention in this book to some of the recent scientific studies pertaining to animal intelligence. The evidence strongly suggests that at least some species qualify for dignity rights and other legal protections.Mr. Wise provides introductory chapters that succinctly defines the struggle for animal rights. The author compares the historic practice of slavery with today's plight of nonhuman animals. Deep-rooted socioeconomic practices conspired to keep slavery alive for most of human history; today, animal slavery is fueled by longstanding cultural and economic forces. Consequently Mr. Wise approaches the daunting task of animal liberation with eyes wide open. He has written this book as a strategic move to further our understanding and with the hope of advancing the struggle. To that end, I would have to say that Mr. Wise has succeeded brilliantly. The author employs a sound methodology to persuade us of the merits of his case. Mr. Wise rank-orders the intelligence of nonhuman animals by utilizing Piaget's well-known theories pertaining to the study of early childhood development. Consequently most of the chapters in the book are devoted to the study of specific animals (such as Koko the gorilla) who might represent the innate abilities of their respective species. You will be intrigued with how Mr. Wise utilizes Piagetian measures such as mirror self-recognition tests in order to compare animal performances with human intelligence.I think that nearly everyone who reads this book with an open mind will be persuaded that at least a few species do indeed display the characteristics of "practical autonomy" that should assure them of rights under the law. Mr. Wise visits with leading researchers to demonstrate the mental acuities of specific animals; in many cases, we come to appreciate the unique personalities of these remarkable animals. The power of Mr. Wise's writing is such that the notion of subjecting these animals to cruel scientific experiments and the like seems unthinkable, and liberation suddenly appears to be a quite reasonable and humane thing to do. In short, I highly recommend this compassionate, original and thought-provoking book to everyone who cares about animals. While the legal system may not yet have recognized the validity of Mr. Wise' argument, this book will no doubt help the good lawyer secure a favorable ruling in the court of public opinion.

Drawing the Line: Science and the Case for Animal Rights

If you care about our animals, buy this book.If you care about our environment, buy this book.If you care about your health, buy this book.After reading this book, you'll not only know the issues, you'll understand them - in a way that you'll be able to debate (and hopefully pursuade) those who don't.you'll also realize that you have feelings.Powerful reading and, believe it or not, this is not depressing reading; rather it is very uplifting.

Ending the slavery: it has happened before

Like the critics of slavery abolitionists who asserted that efforts were better spent helping poor young chimney sweeps than African slaves, there will be those who argue that instead of concerning ourselves with the plight of nonhuman animals, we should concentrate on making the world a better place for starving people in Africa, diseased humans, etc. (There is nothing wrong with advancing worthy human causes, but some folks don't seem to realized they can be pursued simultaneously with nonhuman animal causes.) Steven Wise launches a convincing argument that nonhuman animals are remarkably similar to humans on many quantifiable levels, and that some nonhumans may therefore be justified in sharing basic rights with humans. Among all the cited cases documenting the complex web of human-like (as well as unique) traits among dolphins, honeybees, orangutans, dogs, gorillas, African grey parrots, elephants (and from his previous book, chimpanzees and bonobos), I found one case most interesting. As an economist, I was particularly bemused to discover that orangutans have displayed an understanding of economic value! The author describes the orangutans Azy and Indah who were given bamboo tools to use in public demonstrations. After a demonstration, a human could only retrieve the bamboo tools from the orangutans in exchange for proper compensation. Offering the orangutans a sunflower seed was sufficient payment for a small piece of bamboo. Obtaining a large piece cost much more: an entire walnut. Shrewd bargainers, those orangutans were, and capable of very abstract thinking!The book is filled with evidence of nonhuman intelligence, emotion, and language (making it an excellent companion to Joan Dunayer's book Animal Equality: Language and Liberation). The evidence ranges from anecdotal to experimental. The author quotes biologist Bernd Heinrich who says "We can't credibly claim that one species is more intelligent than another unless we quantify intelligent with respect to what, since each animal lives in a different world of its own sensory inputs and decoding mechanisms of those inputs." Having demonstrated that nonhuman animals can score highly on tests designed to measure human intelligence, surely we have only scratched the surface.The stated goal of this book (and Wise's previous book) is to rattle the legal profession into extending basic rights to beings other than humans. Thanks to Steven Wise, I am confident that will happen, now sooner rather than later. As he says, "human slavery was once as firmly entrenched as nonhuman animal slavery is today." There is hope.