Animal ethics

Animal ethics is a term used in academia to name the branch of ethics that examines human-animal relationships, the moral consideration of animals and how nonhuman animals ought to be treated. The subject matter includes animal rights, animal welfare, animal law, speciesism, animal cognition, wildlife conservation, the moral status of nonhuman animals, the concept of nonhuman personhood, human exceptionalism, the history of animal use, and theories of justice. Several different theoretical approaches have been proposed to examine this field, in accordance to the different theories currently defended in moral and political philosophy. Animal ethics is a term used in academia to name the branch of ethics that examines human-animal relationships, the moral consideration of animals and how nonhuman animals ought to be treated. The subject matter includes animal rights, animal welfare, animal law, speciesism, animal cognition, wildlife conservation, the moral status of nonhuman animals, the concept of nonhuman personhood, human exceptionalism, the history of animal use, and theories of justice. Several different theoretical approaches have been proposed to examine this field, in accordance to the different theories currently defended in moral and political philosophy. The ideology of animal rights have evolved continuously throughout the first millennia. In ancient Hindu and Buddhist cultures, their scriptures advocates toward a vegetarian diet.  Between 1635-1780, animal rights were first introduced. The first country that passed the animal protection legislation is Ireland in 1635, which is 'An Act against plowing by the tayle, and pulling the wool off living sheep.' Moving forward to 1641, Massachusetts colony's called Body of Liberties that includes regulation against any 'Tirranny or Crueltie' towards animals. In 1687, Japan reintroduced a ban on eating meat/killing animals. Finally in 1780, philosopher Jeremy Bentham argued for better treatment for animals. Between 1822-1892, animal rights were improving. In 1822, the British Parliament passed 'Act to Prevent the Cruel and Improper Treatment to Cattle.' Moving on to 1824, the first society was founded in England by Richard Martin, Arthur Broome, and William Wilberforce for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which was later led by Lewis Gompertz. In 1835, Britain passed the first Cruelty to Animals Act. Jumping to 1866, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals moved to America and was founded by New Yorker Henry Bergh. In 1875, Frances Power Cobbe established the National Anti-Vivisection Society in Britain. When it was 1892, an English social reformer named Henry Stephens Salt published Animal Rights: Considered in Relation to Social Progress.' Between 1944-1998, the cause of animal rights increased its support tremendously. During this time period veganism was introduced slowly. In 1944, Donald Watson, an English animal rights advocate, founded the Vegan Society in Britain. In 1970, Richard Ryder coined the term 'speciesism', which names discrimination against those who don't belong to a certain species. This term was made more popular when in 1975 philosopher Peter Singer published Animal Liberation, a book that has been considered very influential for the development of this field. Other ethicists that since then have worked in this field include Tom Regan, Steve Sapontzis and Evelyn Pluhar. The 3 R's were first introduced in 1959 by Russel and Burch, and that stands for Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. The 3 R's are the guiding principles for the ethical treatment of animals used for testing and experimentation.