Never Mind Intelligence

Many would place the origins of the animal rights movement in the 20th century, and with greater granularity anchor it in the 1975 publication of Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation. However, the question of animal rights has a longer history, as seen by its presence in philosophical and religious traditions that date to antiquity; since then, luminaries from Decartes to Darwin have engaged the topic. Fast forward to now, FiveThirtyEight is known for its analyses of politics, economics, and sports, but as an award-winning website boasting a team of talented writers, I was not surprised to come across an article on animals there.

The article opened with a court case brought by the Nonhuman Rights Project that sought to extend habeas corpus (freedom from unlawful imprisonment) to two chimpanzees, and it went on to examine the broader issue of animal intelligence. To synopsize, activists often base arguments for animal rights on a purported hierarchy of intelligence, with “smarter” animals considered more deserving. However, most scientists who study the subject are resistant to hierarchies, and instead refer to “an array of cognitive skills,” because animals are smart in ways they need to be for their environments. This makes rankings inaccurate and unhelpful.

I agree with the University of Iowa’s Edward Wasserman that the best path is not to grant human rights but animal rights, which he says begin with the right to a wild habitat. As for domestic and companion animals, Kristin Andrews of York University recommends building “legal and ethical structures […] addressing the different needs and behaviors of different species.” These are worthy objectives and many organizations are at work on them. We should all support their efforts.