Steven Wise on Philosophy Talk / Nonhuman Rights

Human rights—like freedom from discrimination and slavery— are fundamental rights and freedoms that every person enjoys simply because they're human. But what about other animals, like monkeys, elephants, and dolphins? Should they enjoy similar fundamental rights? If we can extend the legal notion of personhood to inanimate, abstract objects like corporations, then shouldn’t we also extend it to other sentient creatures? How should we understand the concept of a “person” when it’s applied to nonhumans? What kind of cognitive and emotional complexity is required for nonhuman personhood?
Join us for a live taping of Philosophy Talk, the nationally syndicated public radio show. Hosts John Perry and Ken Taylor will be accompanied by special guest Steven Wise--animal protection lawyer, author, and founder and president of the Nonhuman Rights Project--as well as Roving Philosophical Reporter Liza Veale, satirist and Sixty Second Philosopher Ian Shoales, and musical guest The Tiffany Austin Trio.Steven M. Wise is founder and president of the Nonhuman Rights Project, which is the subject of the new documentary Unlocking the Cage. He has practiced animal protection law for 30 years throughout the US and is the author of four books: Rattling the Cage – Toward Legal Rights for Animals; Drawing the Line – Science and the Case for Animal Rights; Though the Heavens May Fall – The Landmark Trial That Led to the End of Human Slavery; and An American Trilogy – Death, Slavery, and Dominion Along the Banks of the Cape Fear River. He holds a J.D. from Boston University Law School and a B.S. in Chemistry from the College of William and Mary.
This event is generously supported by Stanford Law School, McCoy Center for Ethics in Society, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, Stanford People for Animal Welfare, Students for a Sustainable Stanford, and the Peace and Justice Studies Initiative.