Examining the similarity principle and language of (animal) rights as a foundation for animal liberation

Abstract

With the animal liberation movement gathering academic steam I believe it is more important than ever that proponents of the movement ask themselves the same question that Alice in Wonderland asks the Cheshire cat upon reaching a fork in the road: ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ The cat replies: ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to’. Upon answering that she does not much care where she is going, so long as she gets somewhere, the cat’s response to Alice is quite insightful: ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go ... you’re sure to do that if you only walk long enough’.