Animal welfare and rights have become increasingly important issues in modern society. The way humans treat animals has been a topic of debate for many years, with some people arguing that animals have the same rights as humans, while others believe that they are simply creatures to be used for human benefit.
A philosophical belief that animals have moral worth and basic rights, independent of their utility to humans.
, the father of utilitarianism, laid the groundwork for welfare. He famously wrote: "The question is not, Can they reason ? nor, Can they talk ? but, Can they suffer ?" For Bentham, suffering was the moral currency. If an animal suffers, that suffering matters, but it can be weighed against human benefits.