The scale of industrial agriculture makes maintaining individual welfare difficult, leading to debates over "ag-gag" laws and environmental impact.
Animal rights is not a set of laws; it is a moral philosophy. Its central tenet, most powerfully articulated by philosopher Tom Regan in The Case for Animal Rights , is that animals are what he calls "subjects-of-a-life." They have beliefs, desires, memories, a sense of the future, a psychological identity that persists over time. They are somebodies , not somethings . And because they possess this inherent value, they cannot be treated as things—as property, as means to human ends. rabbit bestiality 2021
Welfare advocates work within existing systems to pass laws for larger cages, better veterinary care, and more humane slaughter practices. Understanding Animal Rights: The Philosophical Shift They are somebodies , not somethings