Publisher's Synopsis
How should animals be treated? This book does not approach the subject merely by offering examples and opinions, but rather, without losing sight of its educational aspirations, is filled with philosophical arguments that give the text its overall shape. It puts forward arguments that serve as a framework to guide individual actions, taking the form of concrete obligations. Theoretical reasoning is brought up on very specific issues: should we be vegetarians, or even vegans? Is it right to use animals as the subjects of medical research? Can the tradition of bull fighting justifiably continue? The trivial, lightweight manner in which such maters have traditionally been dealt with calls for a serious analysis of the fundamental question as to whether or not animals have moral rights. This book clearly pinpoints the major inconsistencies in this regard of traditional ethical premises. It also argues that ethics can't afford overlook the suffering of animals. For what truly matters is that one can be hurt, rather than the ability to speak or membership of one species or another. Francisco Lara and Olga Campos highlight the arguments in favor of an ethical paradigm shift. They put forward a debate on the moral value of animals, free from dogmatism, albeit without shying away from a defense of certain moral obligations that will bring about a radical shift in the way in which humans interact with animals.
