Conclusions

Abstract

This book has introduced and critically examined the most prominent schools in contemporary Western political theory and their implications for our treatment of animals. Now that these different schools are better understood, this concluding chapter aims to look at political theory’s relationship with the animal issue as a whole. As such, the chapter aims to do three things. Firstly, it says a little about the important contribution that each of the theories makes to the question of how political communities ought to govern their relations with animals. It claims that while each of these theories has its problems, each also adds something important to the debate concerning the question of justice for animals. Secondly, the chapter puts forward an extremely brief defence of utilitarianism and liberalism as the theories which offer the most valuable contributions to the debate over our treatment of animals. Finally, in the last section, the chapter makes a few tentative remarks regarding the present state of political theory and its relationship with the animal issue.