Animal rights: towards anti-humanism

Le Regard Libre N° 84 - Antoine Bernhard

Man and the animal« dossier»

It's a claim that's gaining ground these days: animals should be recognized as having rights. The idea finds fertile ground in our society, since, after all, it would simply be an extension of what we already give obvious legitimacy to: human rights. Is it that simple? What would it really mean? To answer these questions, we need to go back to the origins of our current conception of human rights.

The concept of «human rights»—also known as «rights of man» or «rights of the person»—refers to the inalienable and imprescriptible natural rights possessed by every human being. It is based on the affirmation of perfect equality among all people and implies a form of universalism: human rights