Advocates of animal rights believe that many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as in avoiding suffering—should be afforded the same consideration as similar interests of human beings. They employ a variety of methods including direct action to oppose animal agriculture. Many animal rights advocates argue that non-human animals should be regarded as persons whose interests deserve legal protection.Taylor, Angus. Animals and Ethics: An Overview of the Philosophical Debate. Broadview Press, 2009, p. 7ff.
Background The animal rights movement emerged in the 19th century, focused largely on opposition to vivisection, and in the 1960s the modern movement sprang up in England around the Hunt Saboteurs Association. In the 1970s, the Australian and American philosophers Peter Singer and Tom Regan began to provide the movement with its philosophical foundations. Singer argued for animal liberation on the basis of utilitarianism, first in 1973 in The New York Review of Books and later in his Animal Liberation (1975), while Regan developed a deontological theory of animal rights in several papers from 1975 onwards, followed by The Case for Animal Rights (1983).Finsen, Susan and Finsen, Lawrence. "Animal rights movement," in Marc Bekoff (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare. Greenwood, 2009. For more about the history of the ideas, see Kean, Hilda. Animal Rights: Political and Social Change in Britain since 1800. Reaktion Books, 1998. Also see: Singer, Peter. "Animal liberation", The New York Review of Books, Volume 20, Number 5, 5 April 1973. "Food for Thought", letter from David Rosinger and a reply from Peter Singer, The New York Review of Books, Volume 20, Number 10, 14 June 1973. Singer, Peter. Animal Liberation New York Review/Random House, 1975. Regan, Tom. "The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism", Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Oct. 1975), pp. 181–214. Regan, Tom. "McCloskey on Why Animals Cannot Have Rights", The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 104 (Jul. 1976), pp. 251–257. Regan, Tom. The Case for Animal Rights. University of California Press, 1983. A distinction persists within the movement—based on the utilitarian–deontological divide—between those who seek incremental reform, a position known as animal protectionism, and those on the abolitionist side, who argue that reform that aims to regulate, rather than abolish, the property status of animals is counterproductive.Francione, Gary L. and Garner, Robert. The Animal Rights Debate: Abolition or Regulation?. Columbia University Press, 2010, p. 1ff, 103ff.
Historically speaking, it can be argued that the genesis of the animal rights movement was in India given the impact that both Buddhism and Jainism had on people in India and the neighbouring countries in Asia. The country with the largest number and highest percentage of vegetarians is India. Buddhism among the global religions is an animal rights religion par excellence. It has long subscribed to the belief that all life forms including that of non-human animals are sacred and deserving of respect, and extolls kindness and compassion as utmost virtues worthy of cultivation. Buddhism unreservedly embraces all living beings in its ethical cosmology without discrimination on grounds of species, race, or creed. Buddhist tenets—including the first precept, "Do not kill"—extend to both human and non-human sentient beings. The Buddha was so adamant and protective of the more vulnerable members of the moral community—namely the animals—that, as recorded in Dhammapada, he declared: "He who has laid aside the cudgel that injures any creature whether moving or still, who neither slays nor causes to be slain—him I call an Arya (Noble person)." The earliest reference to the idea of non-violence to animals (pashu-ahimsa), apparently in a moral sense, is in the Kapisthala Katha Samhita of the Yajurveda (KapS 31.11), a Hindu text written about the 8th century BCE. Several Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist texts appearing in the following centuries, including the Tamil moral texts of the Tirukkural and the Naladiyar, emphasize on ahimsa and moral vegetarianism, which is equated to today's veganism.
List The following is a list of animal rights advocates from all positions within the movement, from academics to activists.
+Overview of animal rights advocates Name Born Image Country of birth Occupation SourceElisa Aaltola1976 FinlandPhilosopher, author of Animal Individuality: Cultural and Moral Categorisations (2006) and Animal Suffering: Philosophy and Culture (2012)Carol J. Adams1951 United StatesEco-feminist writer, author of The Sexual Politics of Meat (1990)Adams, Carol J. The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory. Continuum, 1990. Adams, Carol J. Neither Man nor Beast: Feminism and the Defense of Animals. Continuum, 1994.Bryan Adams1959 CanadaMusician, campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsDouglas Adams1952–2001United KingdomWriter, campaigner for the Great Ape ProjectBarnett, David. "So long, Douglas Adams, and thanks for all the books", The Guardian, 11 May 2011.Cleveland Amory1917–1998United StatesFounder of the Fund for Animals, president of the New England Anti-Vivisection SocietyGreenwald, Marilyn S. Cleveland Amory: Media Curmudgeon & Animal Rights Crusader. University Press of New England, 2009.Pamela Anderson1967CanadaModel, campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals"Anderson saves stray from life on the streets", Toronto Sun, 15 May 2012.Claudine André1946BelgiumConservationist, founded the bonobo sanctuary Lola ya bonoboJames Aspey1986AustraliaFitness trainer, animal rights lecturerMichael Aufhauser1952GermanyFounder of Gut Aiderbichl, an animal sanctuaryAufhauser, Michael. Happy End for Rescued Dogs. teNeues, 2008. Pidd, Helen. "Yvonne the cow still on the run in Germany, but field of clues is found", The Guardian, 24 August 2011. "Gut Aiderbichl" . Retrieved 2 June 2012.Greg Avery1963United KingdomCo-founder of the Consort beagles, Hillgrove cats, and SHAC campaignsBoggan, Steve. "Money talks", The Guardian, 1 June 2006.Matt Ball1968United StatesCo-founder and President of One Step for Animals, Senior Media Relations Specialist for The Good Food Institute, vegan, co-author of The Animal Activist's Handbook (2009)Ball, Matt. "Living and working in defense of animals," in Peter Singer (ed). In Defense Of Animals: The Second Wave. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2006.Martin Balluch1954AustriaCo-founder of Vegane Gesellschaft Österreich, president of Verein Gegen TierfabrikenBalluch, Martin. "How Austria Achieved a Historic Breakthrough for Animals," in Peter Singer (ed). In Defense Of Animals: The Second Wave. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2006.Neal D. Barnard1953United StatesPresident of Physicians Committee for Responsible MedicineWadman, Meredith. "Profile: Neal Barnard", Nature, 1 June 2006.Shane and Sia Barbi1963United StatesModels"The Barbi Twins Make a Bold Statement for Animal Rights", Extra TV, 9 May 2010.Brigitte Bardot1934–2025FranceFormer actress, animal rights activist, founder of the Brigitte Bardot FoundationSinger, Barnett. Brigitte Bardot: A Biography. McFarland, 2006, p. 109 ff. "Fondation Brigitte Bardot" . Retrieved 23 May 2012.Bob Barker1923–2023United StatesFormer host of The Price Is Right, animal rights activistGene Baur1962United StatesFounder of Farm SanctuaryJones, Maggie. "The Barnyard Strategist", The New York Times, 24 October 2008, p. 2/5.Tom Beauchamp1939-2025United StatesProfessor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, co-author of The Human Use of Animals (1998)"Tom Beauchamp – "Rights Theory and Animal Rights" , Department of Philosophy, University of Calgary. Retrieved 5 June 2012.Marc Bekoff1945United StatesProfessor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, co-founder with Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsCallahan, Sharon. "Interview with Marc Bekoff", Anaflora. Retrieved 1 June 2012. "About the author" , literati.net/Bekoff. Retrieved 2 June 2012.Jeremy Bentham1748–1832United KingdomPhilosopher, author of the oft-quoted "The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?"Sunstein, Cass R. "Introduction: What are Animal Rights?," in Sunstein, Cass R. and Nussbaum, Martha (ed.). Animal rights. Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. 3–4; also see Francione, Gary. "Animals—Property or Persons", p. 139, footnote 78, in the same volume. For the quote, see Regan, Tom. The Case for Animal Rights. University of California Press, 1983, p. 95.Steven Best1955 United StatesPhilosopher, former Animal Liberation Press Office spokespersonSmallwood, Scott. "Britain Bans American Professor Who Speaks on Behalf of Animal Liberation Front", The Chronicle of Higher Education, 29 August 2005.Yves Bonnardel1967FrancePhilosopher, field activist and theorist, publisher, lecturer and essayistYves Bonnardel, Thomas Lepeltier, Pierre Sigler. "La Révolution antispéciste", Presses universitaires de France, 2018. Yves Bonnardel and Axelle Playoust-Braure. "Solidarité animale. Défaire la société spéciste", éditions La Découverte, 2020.Michela Vittoria Brambilla1967ItalyPolitician Brambilla, Michela Vittoria. .Brigid Brophy1929–1995United KingdomWriter, author of article, "The Rights of Animals", in The Sunday Times, London, 1965.Brophy, Brigid. "The Rights of Animals", in The Sunday Times, 10 October 1965; reprinted in Brophy, Brigid. Don't Never Forget: Collected Views and Reviews. Cape, 1966. Ryder, Richard. Animal Revolution: Changing Attitudes Towards Speciesism. Berg, 2000, p. 5.Mel Broughton1960United KingdomCo-founder of the SPEAK campaignDear, Paula. "Anatomy of an animal rights protest", BBC News, 5 October 2004.Joseph Buddenberg1984United StatesMink liberator, twice indicted on Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act charges. Served two years in federal prison for liberating 5,740 mink from U.S fur farms.Bever, Lindsay. [ "Animal rights activists went on a cross-country anti-fur rampage. Final stop: Federal prison."], Washington Post, January 2017.Ned BuyukmihciUnited KingdomDoctor of veterinary medicine, founder of Association of Veterinarians for Animal RightsGuither, Harold D. Animal Rights: History and Scope of a Radical Social Movement. SIU Press, 1998, p. 128.David Cantor1954United States Founder and Executive Director of Responsible Policies for Animals,Responsible Policies for Animals. a unique national educational nonprofit organization based in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Joey Carbstrong1986AustraliaAnimal rights activist, veganism activistPaola Cavalieri1950ItalyPhilosopher, campaigner for the Great Ape ProjectCavalieri, Paola and Singer, Peter (eds). The Great Ape Project: Equality Beyond Humanity. St. Martin's Press, 1994.Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne1623–1673United KingdomWriter, anti-vivisectionistShevelow, Kathryn. For the Love of Animals: The Rise of the Animal Protection Movement. Henry Holt and Company, 2008, p. 17ff.Alan Clark1928–1999United KingdomConservative Member of Parliament (1974–1992 and 1997–1999), historian, diaristLyall, Sarah. "Alan Clark, a British Scold, Is Dead at 71", The New York Times, 8 September 1999.Stephen R. L. Clark1945United KingdomProfessor of philosophy at the University of Liverpool (1984–2009), author of The Moral Status of Animals (1977)Clark, Stephen R. L. The Moral Status of Animals. Oxford University Press, 1977. Clark, Stephen R. L. The Nature of the Beast. Oxford University Press, 1982.