DEUTSCHBjörn Hayer
A plea for the animal’s dignity
The question of awareness or of sentience in animals as a criterion to decide on their use bypasses a fundamental fact: Who gives us the right to decide over other beings? As a matter of fact, only the being in question can decide, in this cast, the animal. Precisely because we are capable of empathy – like some other animals, too – we should make use of this faculty and prevent pain whenever possible. Animal welfare implies acknowledgment of the autonomy of fellow beings.
What about plants? In case of imminent danger, animals can escape because they are self-aware. Behaviour like this is hardly conceivable in plants. If ever they were similar to us, it would take a very long time before they could experience equal rights. More…
