ABSTRACT
As we have seen in previous chapters, most of the first animal welfare campaigners were moral entrepreneurs preoccupied with promoting self-control, discipline and social stability. In the last third of the 20th century, however, other voices – of protest, even subversion – were increasing raised in support of the animal cause. In order to better understand what lies behind this development we should examine in more detail certain effects of the leveling of compassion and of the extension of universal sympathy to animals. In fact, by this time protectors of animals no longer confined themselves to seeking to define and promote certain standards in the domain of mores and morality, by taking on preceptor or ascetic roles. Neither were they necessarily satisfied with the alternative role of a rescuer – namely one who seeks to alleviate the immediate suffering of loving and loved creatures – which we examined in the previous chapter. In fact, a growing number of animal protection initiatives were undertaken by activists who saw themselves as avengers , undertaking to defend the weak, to expose the impunity of the powerful, and to stop the most revolting cases of domination.
