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Animal Liberation, often referred to as the "bible" of the
animal rights movement.
Animal Liberation is a book by Australian philosopher Peter Singer, published in 1975.[1] The book is widely considered within the animal rights movement to be the founding philosophical statement of its ideas. Singer himself rejected the use of the theoretical framework of rights when it comes to human and nonhuman animals: he argued that the interests of animals should be considered because of their ability to feel suffering and that the idea of rights was not necessary in order to consider them. He introduced and popularized the term "speciesism" in the book, which was originally coined by Richard Ryder.[2]
The central argument of the book is an expansion of the utilitarian idea that 'the greatest good of the greatest number' is the only measure of good or ethical behaviour. Singer argues that there is no reason not to apply this to other animals.
There have been several editions of the book published over the years, each further chronicling the progress of the animal liberation movement. Most editions of the book contain a preface. The animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, since its foundation in 1980, has greatly supported the book.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Frum, David (2000). How We Got Here: The '70s. New York, New York: Basic Books. p. 274. ISBN 0465041957.
- ^ Peter Singer, “A Utilitarian Defense of Animal Liberation,” in Environmental Ethics, ed. Louis Pojman (Stamford, CT: Wadsworth, 2001), 35."
