During the Enlightenment, French philosopher René Descartes infamously declared animals to be "automata"—mechanical beasts without souls, consciousness, or the capacity to feel pain. This mechanistic view justified centuries of vivisection and harsh treatment. The Turn Toward Compassion
Welfare standards focus on the "Five Freedoms," established by the UK’s Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1979: During the Enlightenment
Consider the average pet owner. They claim to love their dog like family. They would be horrified at the idea of killing and eating their dog. And yet, they pay for a chicken sandwich at lunch. This cognitive dissonance is the engine of the animal advocacy movement. During the Enlightenment