Do Animals Have Moral Standing Analysis

Do animals have rights and moral standing? I believe that they do. Peter Carruthers does not. He is completely against the moral standing of animals. I will be explaining his views, and arguing against them showing why animals should have moral standing. Carruthers specifically says this: “I shall argue that the lives and sufferings of non-human animals make no direct moral claims on us. At the same time I shall argue that the sufferings of human infants and senile old people do make such claims on us. In short: I shall argue that no animals possess moral standing, while arguing all human beings possess such standing.” (Carruthers, WEB p. 39)

He believes that animals can suffer and feel pain and emotions, just as humans can, but he

He says that because people care deeply about their elders and the young, soon to be rational agents, that they automatically get this so called moral standing. It’s their “protection” if you will, because they would be considered at risk without it.

Carruthers later says: “… Attachment to pets is rarely so deep as attachments to relatives, in any case. Hence people should have little difficulty in coming to accept that pets can only be accorded the sorts of protections granted to other items of private property.” (Carruthers, WEB p. 47)

[Add in his reasoning behind this just for a little more background possibly]

As I mentioned, I disagree with Carruthers reasoning. First and foremost, I think he contradicts himself. He says that animals are capable of suffering and feeling pain and emotions at a conscious level. So if they are capable of that, just as humans are, then why are they not considered rational agents with moral standing? They may be different from us in many ways, but if you break it down at a really basic level there are similarities. [Try to explain these similarities if