The Animals Issue: Moral Theory in Practice

by Peter Carruthers

Book Overview

Do animals have moral rights? In contrast to the philosophical gurus of the animal rights movement, whose opinion has held moral sway in recent years, Peter Carruthers here claims that they do not. He explores a variety of moral theories, arguing that animals lack direct moral significance. This provocative but judiciously argued book will appeal to all those interested in animal rights, whatever their initial standpoint. It will also serve as a lively...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521436893
• ISBN13: 9780521436892
• Release Date: September 1992
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A rejection of animal rights according to contractualism

Carruthers arrives at a conclusion which a lot of people will not like, while a lot of others will be satisfied: carefully arguing with precise logic on the basis of Rawls's contractualism, Carruthers concludes that animals cannot have rights. An appreciation of this kind of book depends a lot on the reader's initial standpoint in the matter, but the least one can say is that the book is well written, even if one doesn't share the author's opinion. However, "The animals issue" would have been better and more credible if the author had left out his last chapter, in which he hypothesizes that animals do not have consciousness.