Case for Animal Rights

Tom Regan is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at North Carolina State University and is the author (with Carl Cohen) of The Animal Rights Debate (2001) and Empty Cages: Facing the Challenge of Animal Rights (2004).

• Preface to the 2004 Edition           Preface to the First Edition           Acknowledgments                       1. ANIMAL AWARENESS                    1.1 Descartes's Denial1.2 How Not to Challenge Descartes 1.3 The Principle of Parsimony1.4 La Mettrie's Objection 1.5 The Language Test1.6 Skepticism1.7 Evolutionary Theory and Consciousness1.8 Descartes's Downfall1.9 The Cumulative Argument for Animal Consciousness1.10 Which Animals are Conscious?1.11. Summary and Conclusion2. THE COMPLEXITY OF ANIMAL AWARENESS 2.1 The Belief-Desire Theory2.2 Language and Belief2.3 The Content of Belief2.4 Three Objections2.5 The Complexity of Animal Consciousness2.6 Summary and Conclusion3. ANIMAL WELFARE                     3.1 The Autonomy of Animals 3.2 Interests 3.3 Benefits 3.4 Harms 3.5 Death 3.6 Paternalism and Animals3.7 Euthanasia and Animals 3.8 Summary and Conclusion4. ETHICAL THINKING AND THEORY        4.1 Some Ways Not to Answer Moral Questions4.2 The Ideal Moral Judgment4.3 Criteria for Evaluating Moral Principles4.4 Consequentialist Ethical Theories4.5 Nonconsequentialist Ethical Theories4.6 Evaluating Ethical Theories4.7 Summary and Conclusion5. INDIRECT DUTY VIEWS              5.1 Indirect and Direct Duty Views5.2 Moral Agents and Moral Patients5.3 Narveson's View: Rational Egoism5.4 Rawls's Position: Contractarianism5.5 Kant's Position: Humanity as End in Itself5.6 The Moral Arbitrariness of All Indirect Duty Views5.7 Summary and Conclusion6. DIRECT DUTY VIEWS                6.1 The Cruelty-Kindness View6.2 Hedonistic Utilitarianism 6.3 Preference Utilitarianism6.4 Singer's Grounds for Vegetarianism6.5 Utilitarianism and Speciesism6.6 Summary and Conclusion7. JUSTICE AND EQUALITY             7.1 Utilitarian and Perfectionist Theories of Justice7.2 Individuals as Equal in Value7.3 "All Animals Are Equal"7.4 Inherent Value and Reverence for Life7.5 Inherent Value and the Subject-of-a-Life Criterion7.6 Justice: The Principle of Respect for Individuals7.7 Rule Utilitarianism and Justice7.8 Defending the Respect Principle 7.9 The Derivation of the Harm Principle7.10 Summary and Conclusion8. THE RIGHTS VIEW                  8.1 Moral and Legal Rights8.2 Claims and Valid Claims 8.3 Acquired and Unacquired Duties8.4 The Respect Principle and the Right To Respectful Treatment8.5 The Rights of Moral Patients8.6 A Miscellany of Objections 8.7 Overriding the Right Not to be Harmed8.8 The Innocence of Moral Patients 8.9 Should the Numbers Count? 8.10 The Miniride and Worse-off Principles8.11 Why Side Effects Don't Count8.12 More Objections Answered 8.13 Unfinished Business8.14 Summary and Conclusion9. IMPLICATIONS OF THE RIGHTS VIEW  9.1 Why Vegetarianism is Obligatory9.2 Why Hunting and Trapping Are Wrong9.3 How to Worry about Endangered Species9.4 Against the Use of Animals in Science9.5 Summary and ConclusionEpilogue                Notes                   Index