THE BASIC ARGUMENT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS*

1. Animals count morally.
2. They count morally because they have interests that matter – consciously – to them.
3. Some of their interests are vital ones.
4. To violate their vital interests in order to promote only non-vital interests of our own is to treat them as if they do not count morally.
5. It is wrong to treat something that does count morally as if it does not count morally.
6. Therefore, violating vital interests of animals to promote non-vital interests of ours is morally wrong.
7. Many of the ways we currently treat animals involve violating their most vital interests in order to promote our non-vital interests.

Therefore, many of the ways in which we currently treat animals are morally wrong.

It is morally wrong what we have done to animals like Arturo, pictured.

Because he cannot say, “Help me!” with words, does his pain and suffering not matter?

This does not need to happen. We do not need to hurt or kill animals for non-vital pleasures like a palate preference.

*Source: Animal Rights: A No Brainer, by Mark Rowlands.