Do animals have rights?

[RetroPalms]

For what value of "right?" Rights are a finicky thing that are hard to agree on even for humans. Various countries have rights written right into their laws, while at the same time there is a belief in natural rights that are inherent to all humans and cannot be decided by a state. Figuring out if animals have rights begins with figuring out which are even valid for animals.

There are laws governing what you can do with animals and how they should be treated, but I don't think those really apply as rights. Nothing really guarantees anything to animals in the same way we guarantee to humans. We are forbidden from beating and torturing animals, but we do that more for our own morality than we do for the sake of the animals (not to say that we don't necessarily care about their health). We don't really provide any promises to animals, and even if we did, how would we provide for those promises? We can't even meaningfully communicate with most animals, so how do we bestow anything even approaching a right? If we were to, for instance, claim that animals have some sort of right to peace and well-being, what do we do if another animal attacks them, as part of their nature?

Natural rights seem like they'd fit, being, well, natural, but our idea of natural is entirely subjective. Citizens of the United States might be familiar with "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness," which are supposedly unalienable rights that were bestowed by our Creator. That's nice and all, but are they really natural rights that we have? What does the pursuit of happiness mean to an atheist university professor versus what it means to a radical, fundamentalist Muslim? They both likely have very different ideas of what pursuit of happiness is, and both are probably far different from what an animal's is, if it can even comprehend happiness.

We already have a hard time dealing with our own rights among each other, and we've blatantly invented a lot of them. I can't imagine animals as having them in any real, practical form.

 

[Dalpra]

Animals have rights in terms of there ability to relate and connect to human beings... Now in terms of the way that they are produced massively through large corporations that is indeed a problem. The issue gets much larger when you look into third world countries that can barely make ends meat.

 

[Pahy]

I mean we shouldnt abuse them for no reason, but we dont need to start implementing more expensive methods of killing farm animals n sht for a more “humane death”

 

[4usq]

Animals get screwed over all the time, this is one of the lighter examples.

 

[time2cashout]

Animals get screwed over all the time, this is one of the lighter examples.

Exactly this. ^

Can't believe what that link said lmfao.

 

[fuzki93]

Animal rights are the belief that animals have a right to be free of human use and exploitation, but there is a great deal of confusion about what that means. Animal rights are not about putting animals above humans or giving animals the same rights as humans. Also, animal rights are very different from animal welfare.

 

[Okra]

Yes of course, not like humans but they are considered

 

Well. If you agree to this, then you cannot ever eat meat ever again. Contradictory, unless you are ofc a vegie.

 

Animals should have inalienable rights, same as humans. If the situation allows for it they should be left alone, habitat unimpeded, and taken care of if sick or injured. Animals should not however have priority over human rights i.e. if you are hunting them for food, it's the circle of life. If it's take their shelter or die, it's the circle of life. I don't believe in raising in captivity for slaughter but unfortunately without this method the human population's needs would not be met.

 

Well anything a living creature diverse's right's as to what they right's granted them Is different depends on the creature.

Let me explain.

A wildcat shouldn't have the right to home/shelter anything that isn't effecting their lifestyle,
While a domesticated cat diverse the right to food, water, shelter etc. The reason for this is that the domesticated cat has been raised by humans and is used to living with a human being given food to them etc while the undomesticated is used to hunting and eating it pray. A human shouldn't be getting involved or damaging the life style of this creature.

As for animals who are raised to be turned into food, even thought I don't like it, something has to be done for benifit of the human race, I will continue to enjoy my burger and fries, sadly things have to be this way :.(

 

[Aiii]

Yes they do. We definately abuse our position in the world, and need to protect the life around us, as it wouldn't be only for their prosperity but in fact for ours too.

 

Well. If you agree to this, then you cannot ever eat meat ever again. Contradictory, unless you are ofc a vegie.

Not really; its the circle of life - one creature eats another its all part of the food chain, if we didnt eat animals it'd cause an imbalance in the environment and could lead to extinction to other animals (e.g. if we dont eat a specific type of fish - there will be more of that fish that will eat another fish etc).

It's not murder to eat another animal, we don't call it murder if an animal kills a human do we? that's part of nature.

 

[ilovegold69]

Not really; its the circle of life - one creature eats another its all part of the food chain, if we didnt eat animals it'd cause an imbalance in the environment and could lead to extinction to other animals (e.g. if we dont eat a specific type of fish - there will be more of that fish that will eat another fish etc).

It's not murder to eat another animal, we don't call it murder if an animal kills a human do we? that's part of nature.

A few axioms:
- Humans are omnivorous animals
- Cows and chickens are not a part of a food chain/web
- Humans very rarely participate in food chains/webs
- Food chains/webs are established very slowly
- Most food chains/webs were disrupted by the recent arrival of humans a few thousand years ago
- Species Extinction Happening 1,000 Times Faster Because of Humans?

 

Simply put, no, we don't give animals standards to live by, that they can at least react to, if a dog bites someone and is deemed a threat it can be killed, sure that could be compared to a human doing something, but it isn't the same. Animals are always below humans when it comes to general living.

 

What right do we have to treat another living being like shit because you feel superior?

If people treated animals like their beloved Dogs and Cats the world would be an interesting place.

 

[ilovegold69]

What right do we have to treat another living being like shit because you feel superior?

If people treated animals like their beloved Dogs and Cats the world would be an interesting place.

If people treated strangers like their beloved family members, the world would be an interesting place.

 

[Chival]

Animals definitely have a right, but i feel that some people go overboard with these right. It's the same argument as whether or not you would save your pet over a human life.

 

[XDFelixXP]

Animals have rights aswell but the human is a dominant species we are setting our life above things we see as lower value. You could say Animals have equal rights like human but it would never allow them to live out that rights. It's some sort of oppression.

 

[BUILD]

Okay, so animals are wild - we capture them for entertainment, also rescue them for good, but not every animal displayed in every
animal center is a rescued animal. I believe all animals should be in the wild, except pets like house cats & dogs. Anyways, why I said
that is no animal should have the right to anything to do with sort of photo, nobody should be able to sue anybody over any type of
animal photo, that's completely twisted. Animals have the right not to be held, killed without cause, etc.

Basically I think animals should just be in the wild and be hunted enough to have meat and fish on the planet for people. That's pretty much it. Animals are food.

 

[Voyager]

Of course they don't have the rights we do. But they have the right to live in peace, and not a life full of torture.