The Heiress and the Anarchists

[Gordon Fitch]

Yoshie Furuhashi:
> Peter, I'd have to say I'm not in favor of the idea of "animal rights."

The expression is maybe unfortunate because of the ambiguities
in the word _rights_.  However, the notion that non-human yet
sentient beings deserve ethical and political consideration
has become rather widespread and has developed a modest body
of theory, whereas the position that they do not, wherever I
have encountered it, has always appealed either to utility or
convention -- in other words, it lacks philosophy.  I'd be
glad to speak as tediously as necessary for the former, if 
someone really wants me to -- I see animal rights or animal
liberation as a natural extension of anarchism.


Gordon