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Expanded version of amici curiae brief submitted to the New York Court of Appeals in "Nonhuman Rights Project, Inc., on behalf of Tommy v. Patrick C. Lavery, Individually and as an Officer of Circle L Trailer Sales," Case no. 2018-268, Decided May 08, 2018.
List of contents
Foreword Lori Gruen
1. Introduction: Chimpanzees, Rights, and Conceptions of Personhood
2. The Species Membership Conception
3. The Social Contract Conception
4. The Community Membership Conception
5. The Capacities Conception
6. Conclusions
Afterword Steven M. Wise. Index
About the author
Authors: Kristin Andrews, York Research Chair in Animal Minds, Associate Professor of Philosophy, York University, Canada.
Gary Comstock, Professor of Philosophy, North Carolina State University, USA.
G.K.D. Crozier, Canada Research Chair in Environment, Culture and Values, Professor of Philosophy, Laurentian University, Canada.
Sue Donaldson, Research Associate, Department of Philosophy, Queen’s University, Canada.
Andrew Fenton, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Dalhousie University, Canada.
Tyler M. John, Ph.D. Student in Philosophy, Rutgers University, USA.
L. Syd M Johnson, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Bioethics, Michigan Technological University, USA.
Robert C. Jones, Associate Professor of Philosophy, California State University, Chico, USA.
Will Kymlicka, Canada Research Chair in Political Philosophy, Queen’s University, Canada.
Letitia Meynell, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Dalhousie University, Canada.
Nathan Nobis, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Morehouse College, USA.
David Peña-Guzmán, Assistant Professor of Humanities and Liberal Studies, California State University, San Francisco, USA.
Jeffrey Sebo, Clinical Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Affiliated Professor of Bioethics, Medical Ethics, and Philosophy, and Director of the Animal Studies M.A. Program, New York University, USA.
Foreword: Lori Gruen is William Griffin Professor of Philosophy at Wesleyan University, USA, coordinator of the Wesleyan Animal Studies program, and Professor of Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Science in Society.
Afterword: Steven M. Wise is an American legal scholar, a former president of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and founder and president of the Nonhuman Rights Project.
Summary
In this book a group of renowned philosophers examine the lines of reasoning the courts have used to deny chimpanzee personhood. It goes to the heart of fundamental issues concerning animal rights and the question of human and nonhuman nature. It is essential reading for anyone interested in these issues.
Additional text
"Chimpanzee Rights is a concise yet comprehensive account of how personhood is understood by the law, how it has been defined by philosophy, and how it should be defined to serve nonhuman animals like Kiko and Tommy better[...] Chimpanzee Rights is an important contribution to the current sentience debate that affects nonhuman animals all over the world. It moreover stands as a strong example of how public philosophy is relevant and how it can make a difference in today's public discourse."
Silke Feltz, Metapsychology
