Animals and religious ethics

Andrew Linzey and Clair Linzey

Chapter 9 in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Animal Law, 2025, pp 33-36 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Dominant religious ideas in Western culture regarding animals have been largely negative, as evidenced by anthropocentrism, instrumentalism, and dualism. These negative influences should not, however, obscure the many positive insights found within the Abrahamic religious traditions. The overarching insight is that God is a holy and just Creator, whose creatures have intrinsic value. Human beings are not God and do not have absolute rights over other creatures. Hinduism is a rich soil from which emerged the religions of Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. All these traditions are marked by a keen sense of respect for life embodied in the doctrine of ahimsa – non-violence toward or non-harming of living beings. Religions are not static and can and should provide a grounding for a much stronger stance on animal protection.

Keywords: Aristotle; Aquinas; Descartes; Theology; Ahimsa; Saṃsāra; Anthropocentrism; Instrumentalism; Dualism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781803923666
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