• Preface; 1. Moral argument and moral theory; 2. Utilitarianism and contractualism; 3. Utilitarianism and animal suffering; 4. Utilitarianism and the harm of killing; 5. Contractualism and animals; 6. Animals and rational agency; 7. Contractualism and character; 8. Animals and conscious experience; Conclusion; Notes; Index.

'Those interested in the issue of animal rights should read this book. Carruthers lays out the philosophical issues involved in the use of animals in medical research with clarity and sincerity. Anyone who cares about the trade-off between acquiring human knowledge to help cure disease and the use of animal for those purposes will enjoy new perspectives on the issue as a result of Carruthers' fascinating arguments.' Michael S. Gazzaniga, Dartmouth Medical School