Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

The author states that “animal liberation” and “animal rights” have been misunderstood. He describes what he believes to be the basis of the animal liberation movement, relying on philosophical and moral grounds. He clarifies that animal liberation seeks neither to extend to animals the same set of rights enjoyed by humans nor to deny that human life can have greater moral worth than animal life. He concludes by explaining the ways in which scientific knowledge of natural entities, processes, and organizations is and is not relevant to animal liberation.