''Making a Stand for Animals'' is a 2022 book by moral philosopher

Oscar Horta Oscar Horta (born Óscar Horta Álvarez; 7 May 1974) is a Spanish animal activist and moral philosopher. He is a professor in the Department of Philosophy and Anthropology at the University of Santiago de Compostela and a co-founder of the non ...

, a moral philosopher at the

University of Santiago de Compostela The University of Santiago de Compostela - USC (, ) is a public university located in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. A second campus is located in Lugo, Galicia. It is one of the world's oldest universities in continuous o ...

and founder of the organization

Animal Ethics Animal ethics is a branch of ethics which 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, an ...

. In the book, Horta examines many topics in the field of

animal ethics Animal ethics is a branch of ethics which 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, an ...

, such as

speciesism Speciesism () is a term used in philosophy regarding the treatment of individuals of different species. The term has several different definitions. Some specifically define speciesism as discrimination or unjustified treatment based on an indivi ...

sentience Sentience is the ability to experience feelings and sensations. It may not necessarily imply higher cognitive functions such as awareness, reasoning, or complex thought processes. Some writers define sentience exclusively as the capacity for ''v ...

wild animal suffering Wild animal suffering is suffering experienced by non-human animals living in the wild, outside of direct human control, due to natural processes. Its sources include disease, injury, parasitism, starvation, malnutrition, dehydration, weather ...

veganism Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a vega ...

and

longtermism Longtermism is the ethical view that positively influencing the long-term future is a key moral priority of our time. It is an important concept in effective altruism and a primary motivation for efforts that aim to reduce existential risks to h ...

. The book was initially published in Spanish and Galician.

Summary

Horta begins chapter one by examining what

is and why it is an unjustified

discrimination Discrimination is the process of making unfair or prejudicial distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong, such as race, gender, age, class, religion, or sex ...

. He claims that none of the defenses of the idea that the interests of nonhuman animals should count less than the interests of humans succeed. Then, in chapter two, Horta defines the concept of

, argues that the possession of this capacity should be what determines whether an individual ought to be morally considered or not, and examines the evidence available to assess which nonhuman animals are sentient. Next, in chapter three, Horta describes in very vivid detail the wretched situation faced by the vast majority of nonhuman animals who are exploited by humans. He then presents a number of arguments in chapters four and five to conclude that we should not use nonhuman animals and that it is possible to lead a good life without eating them or exploiting them in other ways. In the concluding chapters, Horta examines the various ways in which we can help improve the situation of nonhuman animals, especially those living in the wild and those who will exist in the future, such as by donating to effective charities, by helping or rescuing nonhuman animals living in the wild whenever we can, or by effecting long-lasting changes in the attitudes that the general public has toward nonhuman animals.

Reception

The book has been reviewed in academic journals both in English and Spanish. In a review in English, Peter Sandøe claims that those who decide to read the book "should be able to enjoy and learn from grappling with the many simple, yet challenging arguments, mostly based on thought experiments, that Horta presents in the book". The book was similarly praised in several reviews in Spanish. For instance, Guillermo Lariguet claims that it is a "very well-written, clear, precise and profound book". Fernando Luna Hernández states that "it addresses the topic of animal sentience in a very simple, serious and instructive way". Brenda Yesenia Olalde Vázquez affirms that "it explains in a clear way concepts such as sentience and veganism" and that Horta invites us to reflect on how we can improve the situation of "the animals that are currently alive", as well as of "the future generations of nonhuman animals". The book has also received reviews from

Paola Cavalieri Paola Cavalieri (born 26 October 1950) is an Italian philosopher, most known for her work arguing for extension of human rights to the other great apes and more broadly, "to mammals and birds, and probably vertebrates in general". In addition to ...

Peter Singer Peter Albert David Singer (born 6 July 1946) is an Australian moral philosopher who is Emeritus Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. Singer's work specialises in applied ethics, approaching the subject from a secu ...

, Alexandra Navarro, Steve Sapontzis, Lu Shegay, Angela Martin, Adewale O. Owoseni, Kyle Johannsen, Jens Tuider, Núria Almirón, Bob Fischer, Steven P. McCulloch and Dr Jeanette Rowley. Cavalieri describes the book as "a powerful plea for a radical change in our attitudes to animals, and in the way we treat them". Singer states that it is "an inspiring and ideal book to recommend to those who are beginning to walk the path of animal liberation, or to those who are totally unaware of it and wish to approach the subject", since it is "written in an agile and easy-to-understand way" and "it provides simple and convincing arguments for the defense of animals, going through all possible approaches".

Summary

Reception

References

Further reading