Both sides therefore gain beneficial rights and obligatory duties. But animals can’t make contracts! Because an elephant can’t make clear verbally what its interests are, then it has no rights. “rights talk” doesn’t seem to help animals much either.
Many animal activists think that animals have moral or natural “rights” that must be respected. “Rights talk” is usually used by the weak to defend themselves against the powerful. The “weak” can be ordinary citizens fighting against authoritarian governments, minorities attempting to defend themselves against hostile majorities or, in this case, the defenders of animals who wish to stop animals from being mistreated. Moral or legal rights are usually backed up by the underlying doctrine of contracts. Citizens will agree to obey reasonable government laws, if the government does not become tyrannical.
Both sides therefore gain beneficial rights and obligatory duties. But animals can’t make contracts! Because an elephant can’t make clear verbally what its interests are, then it has no rights. “rights talk” doesn’t seem to help animals much either.