The Abolitionist Approach: Critical Comparisons and Challenges within the Animal Rights Movements (original) (raw)
Related papers
Abolitionist animal rights: critical comparisons and challenges within the animal rights movement
The abolitionist movement is an emergent and radical approach to nonhuman animal rights. Calling for a complete cessation in nonhuman animal use through the abolishing of property status for nonhuman animals and an adoption of veganism and nonviolence, this approach stands in stark contrast to mainstream approaches such as humane production and welfare reform. This paper describes the goals and stances of abolitionism; the basic debate between abolitionism and other nonhuman animal rights movements; and the current state, challenges, and future prospects for abolitionism. It is argued that abolitionism, as developed by Francione, is the only morally consistent approach for taking the interests of nonhuman animals seriously. Further, it is suggested that the newness of the abolitionist movement and the mainstream nonhuman animal welfare movement's dismissal of abolitionism has thus far prevented any substantial abolitionist success.
Journal for Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2014
This article discusses critical comparisons between the human and nonhuman abolitionist movements in the United States. The modern nonhuman abolitionist movement is, in some ways, an extension of the anti-slavery movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and the ongoing human Civil Rights movement. As such, there is considerable overlap between the two movements, specifically in the need to simultaneously address property status and oppressive ideology. Despite intentional appropriation of terminology and numerous similarities in mobilization efforts, there has been disappointingly little academic discussion on this relationship. There are significant contentions regarding mobilization and goal attainment in the human abolitionist movement that speak to modern collective action on behalf of other animals. This article will explore the human abolitionist movement and discuss possible applications of movement organization, tactical repertoires, and goal attainment to the current nonhuman animal rights movement. Specifically, the utility of violence and legislative activism in the antislavery movement are discussed as potentially problematic approaches to abolishing nonhuman animal exploitation. Alternatively, the nonhuman animal rights focus on consumer resistance and nonviolence represent an important divergence in abolitionist mobilization.
A Rational Approach to Animal Rights: Extensions in Abolitionist Theory
Applying critical sociological theory, this book explores the shortcomings of popular tactics in animal liberation efforts. Building a case for a scientifically-grounded grassroots approach, it is argued that professionalized advocacy that works in the service of theistic, capitalist, patriarchal institutions will find difficulty achieving success.
Animal Abolitionism: A concise analysis of theoretical and educational perspectives
2018
This article provides a very succinct analysis of some of the main animal ethics theories, aiming to construct a foundation upon which an animal abolitionist education and legislation might flourish. The discussion encompasses a brief review of the concept of speciesism, its different modalities and moral unfoldings, and a critical analysis of the role of our dominant formal education in perpetuating speciesist values. Although isolated forms of education as public lectures, short courses and local events, are important ways to fight speciesism, the conclusion is that there is an urge for formal education to be abolitionist as a whole. This is the only way to promote a robust and genuine shift of paradigm and erect a foundation upon which an abolitionist legislation may prosper. Because future lawyers, attorneys and public defenders should keep law pari passu with new scientific evidences and new comprehensions of both justice and morality, the area of Law Studies is one of the most...
Journal of Social Philosophy, 2014
I argue that non-human animals are claimants of justice, using an interest-based approach to theorizing about justice. I critique two liberal defenses of animals, and then offer an alternative view that appeals to the principle of equal consideration, a principle which should appeal to consequentialists and deontologists alike. I demonstrate that this principle, when applied at the level of social structures rather than particular actions, compels us to conclude that animal commodification is an injustice that is remediable only through the adoption of a view I refer to as “radical abolitionism,” which requires the abolition of humans’ use of non-human animals as resources. In the course of this argument, I reply to the arguments of Robert Garner and Alasdair Cochrane which purport to demonstrate that the commodification of animals is compatible with humans’ moral duties to animals.
Animals & Ethics 101: Thinking Critically About Animal Rights
2016
The contents of this book are based on from materials I developed to teach a course called "Animals and Ethics" for the Humane Society of the United States' Humane Society University from 2008-2015. Some of the course's description and goals are on the next pages. I hope these materials will find use in courses and discussion groups and be helpful for individual readers. The Humane Society University is no longer operating, but I am grateful to them for the opportunity to develop and teach this course and for the students who took part in the course. This book can serve as a brief guide and companion to some important in-print books on animals and ethics by Peter Singer (Animal Liberation, among others), Tom Regan (Empty Cages, among others) and Mark Rowlands (Animals Like Us, among others) and others. This book refers to many sources, both in print and online. For online sources, I usually-but not alwaysprovide a URL for the source; if not, I write (Google) after the source. If the given URL does not work, readers should Google the author and title (or the title in quotes) to try to find the source. Since URLs come and go and uploaded materials change, perhaps this will yield the reading. Also, who knows what other interesting sources and discussion on these issues that Google might turn up! Please feel free to contact me with any reactions to these materials and with any suggestions or questions. I look forward to hearing from you!