Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book considers a political, territorial implementation of animals' rights in practice. It contains influential essays that argue a case for animal moral rights, each putting forward a somewhat different view. The book also considers issues about animal rights in a legal and political context. It includes essays arguing in favour of, and against, the extension of legal rights to animals and concludes with two essays exploring the political and moral status of the great apes. The book then considers three possible groundings for rights: those emerging from libertarianism, utilitarianism and contractarianism. It also focuses on aspects of Tom Regan's rights argument and it raises several concerns about arguments central to the internal structure of Regan's position. The book also explains the relationship of animal rights arguments to vegetarianism.