A Study Of The Core Terms In Animal Rights Theory Of Tom Regan

Tom Reagan's theory of animal rights enriches the conceptual category and theoretical connotation of ecological philosophy,extending moral care to animals.It emphasizes the equal status of humans and animals by assuming the concept of natural value,triggering new philosophical thinking,enriching the content of ecological philosophy and expanding philosophy‘s vision.Traditional anthropocentrism only sees the value of animals and nature,and believes that only people have value,only people have purpose and have their own good.Reagan recognizes that animals also have value and benefits,which means animals should not be used as a means of humanity only.This re-examination of the relationship between humans and animals has promoted the emergence of ecological moral values and the development of ecological animal ethics.Reagan advocates that humans and animals have equal inherent value.Animals are not only the objects of human‘s transformation or the objects of being used,breaking the traditional dichotomy of the subject and the guest,and raising the status of animals to be equal to human beings.Humans and animals are partners in the natural world.Learning this theory can help us properly handle the relationship between humans and animals,which is an important part of strengthening the ecological civilization construction.