Lecture by Will Kymlicka

The debate on animal rights opens up far-reaching questions about the way we see ourselves as a species. If animals were endowed with rights which humans have hitherto claimed as exclusively theirs, would this put our rights in jeopardy? Why have we assumed that in both ontological and moral terms humans exist on a higher plane? Is a hierarchy of species necessary as a foundation for human rights? The philosopher Will Kymlicka, well known for his work on multiculturalism and animal ethics, challenges assumptions that are deep-rooted in our culture and present in our philosophical discussion of human rights: discontinuity among species and human supremacy over animals. In this lecture he will argue that this is a negative perspective, not only for animals but for humans as well. Highlighting the problematic nature of concepts like “dignity”, Kymlicka calls for a new vocabulary as a basis for both human and animal rights, one that will embrace concepts like “vulnerability”, “capacity”, and “care”.