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Rawls's Contractualism and the Moral Status of Animals

Publication |
2016

Abstract

Classic view of contractualism argues that there are morally relevant differences between animals and us. These differences are used as a justification for use animals in experiments.

Peter Carruthers excludes animals from direct moral concern on the basis that they are not capable of moral agency or rationality. But Mark Rowlands claims that contractualism is not coherent if includes humans that lack such qualities and excludes animals.