Peter Singer's Animal Liberation: A Case For The Equal Consideration Of All Animals And New Understanding Of Non-Persons

Abstract

In Animal Liberation, Peter Singer makes an interesting case for the equal consideration of all animals by employing Jeremy Bentham’s capacity to suffer. This article analyzes the specific argument he makes by reconstructing its premises, and then goes on to explain how the current treatment of animals is not only immoral and cruel, but also inconsistent with our treatment of humans. Then finally it explains how Singer’s reluctance to offer personhood to animals actually makes his case stronger by giving his opponents less ground to argue and manages to prove his case without having to resort to previous, flawed arguments.