The History of the Animal Rights Movement

The concept of animal rights has existed for thousands of years. In Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, there is the concept of ahiṃsā, meaning nonviolence, and it is a central tenet. Jainism, for example, opposes cruelty to animals, and forbids its followers to work in a zoo, cut down trees or use any fabric, including silk, that is produced by harming other living beings. 

In Europe and North America there were many precursors to today's animal rights movement. The first animal cruelty legislation prohibiting the pulling of wool from live sheep was passed in 1635. In 1822, Richard Martin, known as "Humanity Dick," passed Martin's Law, which sought to prevent cruelty to livestock. Martin was one of the founding members of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the world's first animal welfare charity, in 1824.

The first explicit reference to the concept of animal rights comes from the book Animals' Rights: Considered in Relation to Social Progress by Henry Stephens Salt, who opposed the idea of prejudice against animals. Salt sought recognition of "the common bond of humanity that unites all living beings in a universal brotherhood," something that echoed ancient religious traditions such as Jainism. 

(Peter Singer at a farm)

It has been said that the modern animal rights movement is the first social reform movement initiated by philosophers. The Australian philosopher Peter Singer and the American philosopher Tom Regan, represent two major currents of philosophical thought regarding the moral rights of animals.

The book Animal Liberation (1975) by Singer, is considered one of the movement’s foundational documents, that argues that the interests of humans and the interests of animals should be given equal consideration.

All these events have made the Animal Rights Movement a very large movement with millions of supporters and organizations fighting for animal rights.