Comparative Study On Equality Between Peter·Singer's Animal Liberation And Tom·Regan's Animal Rights

Equality is a fundamental ethical principle, while its meaning has been gradually perfected with the development of human beings' thoughts. Equality was confined to human beings alone within the framework of traditional ethics. It means that people are in the same position in society and have equal rights in the political, economic and cultural aspects. Interpersonal equality requires people to receive the same treatment, regardless of one's identity, race, wealth, social status and rights. Thus the traditional concept of equality ethics only regulate the human relations, it does not involve the relationship between human beings and nature beings.Peter Singer's and Tom Regan's theories of equality, which have had a significant and far-reaching influence in the field of ethics, extend human moral concern to non-human beings——animals, and advocate equality to the relationship between humans and animals. And their thoughts on equality are an important basis of Environmental Ethics Equality. Thus, studies on their equality thoughts have important theoretical and practical significance with the background of many global environmental crisis.There are many similarities between Peter Singer's and Tom Regan's theories of equality as the followings. Both of them extend human morality care to animals; both focus on the rights and interests of individual animals instead of the overall interests of ecosystem; both realize the similarities between humans and animals and take those similarities as the basis of equality between humans and animals; both are abolitionists, calling for a total abolition of animal experiments, industrial farms, and hunting in any purpose; both are on the way to get theoretical support to establish moral status of animals.However, it's also easy to get the differences between them. First of all, the foundation of Peter singer's equality is utilitarianism, while Tom Regan's equality foundation is inherent value. Second, Singer believed animals have the same ability to feel joy and sorrow like humans, but Regan think that animals and humans have the same consciousness, and there is no difference in the complexity of consciousness and welfare. Third, Singer's animal care refers to animals who have the ability to perceive pain, and he thinks advanced animals have more intrinsic value than the lower animals. Regan concerned all lives (including humans and animals), and think there is no inherent value difference among all those lives. Fourth, Singer's theory basis is equal benefit and Regan's is equal rights. In addition, they meet different theoretical Predicament.Despite Singer's and Regan's theories are not perfect, their contributions are obvious. They apply the principle of equality to animals. And the animals were given equal moral consideration and moral status. The exploring process of harmony ethics between people and animals is the beginning of environmental Ethics, and it helps us to redirect people's attitude towards nature and animals; it also helps to regulate animal protection ethics with fully respect for animal interests, fundamental rights and welfare; and it helps establish the status of human moral agents, carrying forward the fine moral quality of humans, such as kindness, altruism, etc. Both of their equality thoughts are transitions from anthropocentrism to the non-anthropocentric period and are necessary for people to achieve sustainable development.