Animals have a right to life.

Area of Science:

• Ethics
• Philosophy of Mind
• Animal Rights

Background:

• The current legal and judicial systems are often based on religious dogmas.
• There is a need for a legal framework grounded in empirical-rational ethics.
• The anthropocentric view of animals requires critical evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for the separation of state and church in legal systems.
• To establish a scientific basis for ethics by describing consciousness.
• To challenge the notion of fundamental differences between human and animal consciousness.

Main Methods:

• Scientific description of consciousness.
• Critique of anthropocentrism.
• Application of the principle of universality.

Main Results:

• Consciousness is identified as the determinant of autonomy.
• Consciousness demonstrates evolutionary continuity between humans and animals.
• Life is instrumentally valuable for autonomous beings to realize their autonomy.

Conclusions:

• A legal system should be based on empirical-rational ethics, not religious dogma.
• There is no fundamental difference in consciousness between humans and animals.
• Autonomous beings, including animals, possess a right to life that society must recognize.