Sure to appeal to the growing numbers of vocal animal-rights advocates, this hard-hitting explanation of the concepts of animal-rights critiques our so-called "civilized" society which often condemns animals to unnecessary suffering. With an introduction by Ingrid Newkirk, Director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
He puts the issue of animal rights in historical context, drawing parallels between animal rights activism and other social movements, including the anti-slavery movement in the nineteenth century and the gay-lesbian struggle today. He also outlines the challenges to animal rights posed by deep ecology and ecofeminism to using animals for human purposes and addresses the ethical dilemma of the animal rights advocate whose employer uses animals for research."--BOOK JACKET.
Do you love cats, dogs and other pets? Do you want to do more to help protect and advocate for these pets, but don't know where to start? Defending the Defenseless is for anyone who wants to join a growing crusade to bring animal protection to its rightful place in a civilized society, to protect animals from harm inflicted by humans, and allow them to live happily in an environment that appreciates their unique qualities. Regardless of career or lifestyle, anyone can become an advocate for pets in a growing movement to defend the defenseless. This book guides readers through the variety of ways they can help companion animals and offers practical tips to get involved, from donating money to volunteering at animal shelters, from opposing animal experimentation to raising children to protect animals. Defending the Defenseless is perfect for anyone who loves animals and is seeking guidance on how to get involved.
Now in its eighth edition, James Rachels’ and Stuart Rachels’ The Right Thing to Do: Readings in Moral Philosophy continues its legacy of providing students a diverse collection of thought-provoking essays from historical and contemporary perspectives. Introductory essays by James Rachels and foundational readings in moral theory provide a base from which students can engage with the updated selection of essays on pressing issues. New to the Eighth Edition: From gun rights to the opioid crisis to racial equality, these new essays bring questions of moral philosophy into the daily lives of today’s students. 1. A Death at Penn State, by Caitlin Flanagan 2. The Opioid Crisis, As Lived in West Virginia, by Margaret Talbot 3. Is Doping Wrong?, by Peter Singer 4. The Case for Reparations, by Ta-Nehisi Coates 5. Why Guns Shouldn’t Be Outlawed, by Michael Huemer 6. Is Taxation Theft?, by Michael Huemer 7. Letting Go: What Should Medicine Do When It Can’t Save Your Life?, by Atul Gawande 8. The Meaning of Life, by Richard Taylor
In 1877, the American Humane Society was formed as the national organization for animal and child protection. Thirty years later, there were 354 anticruelty organizations chartered in the United States, nearly 200 of which were similarly invested in the welfare of both humans and animals. In The Rights of the Defenseless, Susan J. Pearson seeks to understand the institutional, cultural, legal, and political significance of the perceived bond between these two kinds of helpless creatures, and the attempts made to protect them. Unlike many of today’s humane organizations, those Pearson follows were delegated police powers to make arrests and bring cases of cruelty to animals and children before local magistrates. Those whom they prosecuted were subject to fines, jail time, and the removal of either animal or child from their possession. Pearson explores the limits of and motivation behind this power and argues that while these reformers claimed nothing more than sympathy with the helpless and a desire to protect their rights, they turned “cruelty” into a social problem, stretched government resources, and expanded the state through private associations. The first book to explore these dual organizations and their storied history, The Rights of the Defenseless will appeal broadly to reform-minded historians and social theorists alike.
Introductions to each chapter explain the issues, as well as the arguments that surround them, and a general introduction to the volume thoroughly explains how to use the book. Each entry contains the following information: author, title, edition, series title, location of publisher, name of publisher, number of pages, year of publication, and International Standard Book Number. Annotations include the most important information available to help the researcher, including web sites that contain not only the full text of the book when available, but also excerpts and articles or interviews by the author; short quotations from the books; and short descriptions and summaries of the books. All the information provided allows students to locate exactly what they need, while encouraging them to explore other issues and differing viewpoints.
Do all animals have rights? Is it morally wrong to use mice or dogs in medical research, or rabbits and cows as food? How ought we resolve conflicts between the interests of humans and those of other animals? Philosophical inquiry is essential in addressing such questions; the answers given must have enormous practical importance. Here for the first time in the same volume, the animal rights debate is argued deeply and fully by the two most articulate and influential philosophers representing the opposing camps. Each makes his case in turn to the opposing case. The arguments meet head on: Are we humans morally justified in using animals as we do? A vexed and enduring controversy here receives its deepest and most eloquent exposition.
How can someone who condemns hunting, animal farming, and animal experimentation also favor legal abortion, which is the deliberate destruction of a human fetus? The authors of Beating Hearts aim to reconcile this apparent conflict and examine the surprisingly similar strategic and tactical questions faced by activists in the pro-life and animal rights movements. Beating Hearts maintains that sentience, or the ability to have subjective experiences, grounds a being's entitlement to moral concern. The authors argue that nearly all human exploitation of animals is unjustified. Early abortions do not contradict the sentience principle because they precede fetal sentience, and Beating Hearts explains why the mere potential for sentience does not create moral entitlements. Late abortions do raise serious moral questions, but forcing a woman to carry a child to term is problematic as a form of gender-based exploitation. These ethical explorations lead to a wider discussion of the strategies deployed by the pro-life and animal rights movements. Should legal reforms precede or follow attitudinal changes? Do gory images win over or alienate supporters? Is violence ever principled? By probing the connections between debates about abortion and animal rights, Beating Hearts uses each highly contested set of questions to shed light on the other.
