Your free online book to action animal rights Buy the book version of How to Do Animal Rights - 348 pages, from Cafepress. Animal Rights Paintings & Prints Free Use You are welcome to use these on your not-for-profit web site for a link. How to Do Animal Rights Contents About What's This Free Online Book About? The Author Email Chapter 1.  Introduction to Doing Animal Rights 1. The Broad Setting The Big Problem Being Active The Best Animal Rights Attitude The Expanding Circle The Great Leap 2. Mass Extinction The Sixth Extinction The Mega Devastators Biocide? 3. The Animal Holocaust What is the Animal Holocaust? Incredible Killing Not Ours to Abuse The Most Effective Thing You Can Do Chapter 2.  Know Your Animal Ethics & Animal Rights 1. Animal Ethics Background Ethics Importance of Animal Ethics Glossary Some History How to Proceed? Ethical Theories Ethical Theories Compared Choosing an Ethical Theory Do Philosophical Ideas Work? 2. Animal Rights What are Animal Rights? Background to Animal Rights Major Dates for Rights Animal Rights Theory Fundamental Animal Rights Positions Variations on Animal Rights Are Rights a Cure-all? Arguments For & Against Animal Rights 3. Comparing Animal Philosophies Animal Ethics vs Animal Rights Animal Rights vs Animal Welfare Animal Rights vs Conservation Deep Ecology Conclusion 4. Universal Declaration of Animal Rights UN Universal Declaration Declaration of Animal Welfare Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare Chapter 3.  Campaigning Methods for Animal Rights 1. Campaigning Introduction Your Right to Campaign Where to Begin? Keeping Going 10 Essential Campaigning Tips More Tips 2. Civil Disobedience What is Civil Disobedience? Civil Disobedience & Animal Rights Hunt Sabotage Arguments For & Against Civil Disobedience 3. Direct Action What is Direct Action? Examples of Animal Rights Direct Action Individual vs Mass Direct Action Sea Shepherd Conservation Society The Battle of Brightlingsea Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty Inset: Background to Brightlingsea Comparing Direct Actions Direct Action vs Civil Disobedience Efficacy of Direct Action Ethical Code of Practice 4. Action Planning What is an Action Plan? Why an Action Plan? Who Should Produce the Action Plan? Before You Begin Operations & Administrations Creating Your Action Plan You Should Be Smart You Should Also SWOT Make It Happen Review A Simple Action Plan 5. Lobbying What is Lobbying? Who Can Lobby? What & Whom to Lobby Start Lobbying How to Lobby Lobbying Techniques 6. Picketing What is Picketing? AR Picketing is Like Industrial Picketing How to Picket Hitting Back 7. Starting a Group Anyone Can Start a Group What to Do? Name & Logo Finding Members A Constitution? The Group Committee Group Success or Failure Newsletters Fundraising 8. Leafleting Why Leafleting? Design Printing Distribution Posters & Placards 9. News Media Why the News Media? Make it Newsworthy Media Tips A Feature Article? The Letters Page News Release The Radio Radio Tips 10. Internet Why the Internet? The Web Email Create Your Own Web Site / Blog Designing Your Web Site Capturing Viewers Discussion Boards Chapter 4.  Activities for Animal Rights  1. Undercover Investigator  2. Video Activist  3. Animal Friendly Traveller  4. Animal Preacher  5. Animal Rescuer  6. Investigative Reporter  7. Media Watcher  8. Philosopher  9. Flyer 10. Personal Activist 11. Animal Lawyer 12. Politician 13. Prisoner Supporter 14. Public & School Speaker 15. Aerial Snooper 16. Scientific Investigator 17. Solo Information Worker 18. Street Theatre Actor 19. Teacher 20. Voluntary Worker Abroad Chapter 5.  The Law & Animal Rights 1. Terrorism A Definition of Terrorism Background to Terrorism But What Really is Terrorism? Animal Extremism & Terrorism Does AR Extremism Work in Practice? Conclusion 2. Violence or Nonviolence? Scope of AR Extremism Can We Justify Violence? Kinds of Violence Views For & Against Violence Is Violence Efficacious? Conclusion 3. The Law - US & Britain United States FBI vs Extremists Britain Extremist Tactics Establishment Fights Back 4. Police Arrest Ben Prepared In the Street & At Your Door At the Police Station Your Tactics Know Your Rights Remaining Silent Having a Lawyer Present Suing the Police Chapter 6.  Assorted Animal Rights Activists 1.  Steven Best 2.  John Lawrence 3.  Andrew Linzey 4.  Richard Martin 5.  The McLibel Two 6.  Ingrid Newkirk 7.  Jill Phipps 8.  Henry Salt 9.  Henry Spira 10. Three Philosophers Chapter 7.  Numbers of Animal Raised & Killed 1.  Summary 2.  Chickens 3.  Pigs 4.  Beef Cattle 5.  Fish 6.  Meat Consumption 7.  Fur-bearers 8.  Experimental Animals Chapter 8.  Extras! 1.  Mutilations of Farm Animals 2.  The Five Freedoms 3.  Painism 4.  The Forgotten Fur 5.  The Golden Rule 6.  Human Overpopulation 7.  Climate Change 8.  Think Like an Animal Appendix - World Scientists' Warning to Humanity

How to Do Animal Rights Chapter 8 Extras 5. The Golden Rule What is the Golden Rule? Treat others how you would like to be treated, this is the Golden Rule, a moral maxim that guides our behaviour to others. This simple rule has been an attractive philosophy for over two thousand years because it can often resolve conflict and almost anyone can grasp and apply it without any special reasoning or learning. Diverse cultures and major religions celebrate and affirm the Golden Rule. In the Christian tradition it is well know by the phrase: do unto others as you would be done by. The Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib, India, foremost shrine for Sikhs. Many cultures and religions affirm the Golden Rule. Photo: Vinish K Saini. Applying the Golden Rule To apply the Golden Rule you should know or imagine what result your action could have on the recipient. Ask yourself whether you would be willing to suffer similar treatment. Finally, you should act accordingly. Someone is about to get a flogging for stealing a sheep. Putting yourself in their shoes, would flogging be an effective solution? What might be a better course of action? You can also apply the Golden Rule to communities. Appeal to the majority to end discrimination against the minority. Ask the majority how they would feel if they were second class citizens living in run-down housing, receiving second rate health care and exposed to the whims of misfortune. If they would not like to be in this situation themselves, ask why they should tolerate it in others. Applying the Golden Rule to Animals Most people do not think of applying the Golden Rule in their relationship with animals. But you can. It is particularly easy to do with animals you find empathy with, such as domesticated animals, mammals and birds. Seeing them in cages prompts the question to the people who put them there of whether they would like to be treated the same way. The animal's are isolated from their peers and driven to apathy by boredom and frustration; their freedom of movement and expression of natural behaviour are gone. Of course, the Golden Rule is not an unfailing guide to identify the best moral action to help anyone. You cannot be certain what someone wants or how they feel. Fathoming the requirements of animals is more difficult, especially when they cannot readily indicate their needs. But do not let people misuse the Golden Rule. People can use it to justify bad action by appealing to the supposed wishes of the other party. They might incarcerate animals, such as in a zoo, by assuming that what they or their species want is conservation. Or they might shut animals away for their 'health', such as in a laboratory that develops drugs usable on animals as well as people.

How to Do Animal Rights. First published on the Web: April 2008. © Roger Panaman, April 2008. All rights reserved.