Animal Rights

Paul Waldau is Associate Professor and Principal Faculty Member for the online graduate program in Anthrozoology at Canisius College and President of the Religion and Animals Institute. He has served four times as the Bob Barker Lecturer on Animal Law at Harvard Law School and will again do so in 2012.

• Preface ; Chapter 1: General Information ; Why do we need to know what is meant by <"animal rights>"? ; Who, what are <"animals>"? ; Where do we find <"them>"? ; Is concern for animal rights new? ; Chapter 2: The Animals Themselves ; What do we know about animals' realities? ; Why do their realities matter? ; How does science categorize animals? ; How valuable is this scientific map in animal rights discussions? ; How valuable are the non-scientific categories we use when classifying animals? ; What do we know about numbers? ; Who, what are companion animals? ; Which animals are research animals, and how are they treated? ; What is the situation with entertainment animals? ; What is the status of animals used for food? ; What about work and production animals? ; Is today's widespread concern for food and production animals new? ; Who, what are wildlife? ; Are wild animals more truly <"animal>" than are companion, food, production and research animals? ; What other categories are popular? ; Chapter 3: Philosophical Arguments ; How do moral rights differ from legal rights? ; What role has philosophy played in the modern animal right movement? ; What have been the principal philosophical arguments about the moral importance of animals? ; What does philosophy suggest about our <"knowledge>" of other animals? ; Chapter 4: History and Culture ; When did animal protection first occur? ; Does animal protection occur in all cultures? ; Has there been an increase in the number of people protecting animals? ; Is it now possible to tell the full story of the humans' efforts at animal protection? ; Chapter 5: Laws ; What is (traditional) law on animals? ; What is happening today in <"animal law>"? ; Legal Education ; Litigation ; Legislation ; Enforcement ; What is the role of legal rights in <"animal rights>" debates? ; What is the significance of the <"rights versus welfare>" debate? ; What is possible under today's developing animal law? ; Is it likely that law, lawyers, and legislation will lead our societies in changes regarding the status of animals? ; Chapter 6: Political Realities ; What are the political realities for animals today? ; What successes have there been in politics? ; What failures have there been? ; What is the overall state of today's animal protection movement? ; What are the prospects today for legal rights for animals? ; What are the prospects for moral rights? ; What has been the role of the anti-vivisection movement? ; How significant is today's <"Alternatives Movement>"? ; What about Public Policy? Is there any movement here? ; What will be the impact of the increasingly high profile and heavy funding of public health initiatives? ; What is the relationship of animal protection concerns to the worldwide environmental movement? ; Does animal protection mean job losses? ; What impact do ethnic and national food traditions have in animal rights discussions? ; What role do religious traditions play in the politics of animal protection? ; Chapter 7: Social Realities ; What are the prevailing attitudes today in different societies regarding animals? ; What is our heritage? ; What importance have compassion and anti-cruelty had in the past? ; How are attitudes changing today? ; How well informed are modern consumers about current practices regarding animals? ; What about circuses and zoos? Do they educate us or imprison us? ; What is the role of sanctuaries? ; What animals are in the city? ; Chapter 8: Education and the Arts ; What is the most effective way of learning about animals? ; What has been the traditional role of animals in education? ; Have compassion and anti-cruelty been important values in education? ; What is happening in earliest (elementary) levels of education? ; What about secondary education (high schools)? ; What is happening in colleges and universities? ; What is the field of <"animal studies>"? ; What is the role of the professions and professional schools? ; What has been the role of the arts? ; Chapter 9: Contemporary Sciences ; What is the role of science generally in our knowledge and treatment of animals outside our species? ; Which natural sciences have played important roles in our understanding of animals? ; Which social sciences today contribute to our understanding of animals? ; Which animals are intelligent or self-aware? ; Do other animals have their own communities? ; Do animals have emotions? ; Chapter 10: Major Figures and Organizations in the Animal Rights Movement ; Two Henries-Salt and Spira ; Two Theologians-Schweitzer and Linzey ; Insightful Women-Ruth Harrison and Rosalind Godlovitz ; Key Philosophers-Peter Singer and Tom Regan ; From Welfare to Rights-Richard Ryder and Bernard Rollin ; Creative Pioneering Across Boundaries-Betty Lawrence and Carol Adams ; The Law Arrives-Joyce Tischler and Steven Wise ; From New Zealand to Austria-Barbara Leonard and Martin Balluch ; Sanctuary-Carol Noon, Carol Buckley, Dame Sheldrick, Lisa Kane ; Leadership in India-Maneka Gandhi and Raj Panjwani ; Leadership in China-Song Wei and Jill Robinson ; Ingrid Newkirk ; Wayne Pacelle and Gene Baur ; Chapter 11: The Future of Animal Rights ; Who are the others who join us in the more-than-human community? ; Can ethics work hand-in-hand with science? ; What is the role of the individual citizen? ; What is the role of nonprofit organizations? ; What is the role of corporations? ; What is the role of municipalities and villages and other local communities? ; What is the role of provinces, states and countries in animal protection? ; Glossary ; Chronology of Important Events ; Suggestions for Further Reading ; Index

A superbly written, well-researched work that objectively looks at the subject matter, explores all sides of the issue, and makes good on its promise to provide the information 'everyone needs to know' about animal rights. Waldau's book will very likely become the animal rights bible and be an indispensible source for any serious discussion of the topic.