Is a chimpanzee a thing or a person? Is an orangutan an item of property or a being with legal rights?
Around the globe, lawyers, philosophers and scientists have begun arguing such questions. While some say that only humans can hold rights, others want to grant entitlements to non-humans, too.
Evolutionary anthropologist Volker Sommer follows this current controversy about the question of who should belong to the legal “community of equals”.
Most recently in November 2016 a judge in Argentina ruled that a captive chimpanzee called Cecilia was a “being” and so her “non-human rights” should be recognized. The court’s closing statement quoted philosopher Immanuel Kant: “We may judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”
In the United States, Steven Wise of the Non-Human Rights Project has been leading a high-profile court case on behalf of four chimps, applying the writ of habeas corpus, which was used in the 18th century to free James Somerset, an enslaved African.
But Steven and his team are not just focusing on apes. We join them in New York as they plan their next court case, filing on behalf of an elephant.
Volker Sommer takes us on a philosophical and scientific journey from the wilderness to the laboratory to the courtroom, following what might be the dawn of a new era of inclusivity.
Contributors include the moral philosopher Paola Cavalieri who started the Great Ape Project, ethologist Frans de Waal, primatologist William McGrew, Steven Wise of the Non-Human Rights Project, animal philosopher Judith Benz-Schwarzburg and legal expert Richard Cupp.
Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08584jt
Rick F
Evolution =False Premise =False Conclusions
Dr. Chris K
Care to expound ok that a little? I’m genuinely curious bc What I’ve studied is predicted on evolution. No value judgments here, just like go hear all theories bc no on really knows anything that is 100% axiomatic
Dr. Chris K
Care to expound ok that a little? I’m genuinely curious bc What I’ve studied is predicted on evolution. No value judgments here, just like go hear all theories bc no one really knows anything that is 100% axiomatic
Michael L
Yes, why are we still following the religion of Evolution, it was a theory introduced by a atheist man in the 19th century. Really, in this time of Scientific advances- we can do better than that ……
Michael1lion
Amy H
Huh? “Evolution=False Premise=False conclusions” What do you think evolution is? Evolution is a theory just as gravity is. Perhaps you do not understand the meaning of scientific theory. Evolution is a theory that has been proven many times. Read about Darwin’s finches. Living creatures evolve. It is in genes, it can be mapped. It is studied. Evolution is a change that occurs at the molecular level sometimes in response to environment, mutation and/or time. If creatures don’t evolve, they die off. It’s happening right now somewhere in some living thing.
The question here is do animals have rights as we define them for humans. It is a question that has to be answered. The only rights animals get will be rights we give. It has very little to do with evolution. As humans, it is our responsibility to address inhumane activities regardless if it’s an animal or human being. It is part of being sentient. Life deserves examination. It is our burden to do so.
Expand your horizons. Be generous with the gift you have been given. Use your mind to answer questions beyond yourself. Isn’t that what we do here by talking about the existence of sasquatch? Just because you don’t understand it or don’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist or isn’t real.
Nick H
More species have died off because of man.