Read the two texts. Decide on a viewpoint for an argument essay (it doesn’t have to be “for” or “against” — it can be more complicated and take views from each side, if you like.) Find a third text to support your viewpoint. This text should be from an academic journal or book.Read and analyse all the texts.

The topic is a move in the New York courts to grant chimpanzee “legal personhood” – to give them at least one major right of human beings — that of freedom of movement (but without describing them as human.) This is an actual legal case being argued in the New York court right now. The questions to consider are: what qualities and characteristics define what a person is? What are the ethics of making chimpanzees persons?

What do humans owe the animals they hold captive, especially the ones that, through research, have helped improve human’s health? Do humans have the right to use animals (chimpanzees are especially useful for medical research because of their genetic and physiological similarities to humans. But that is also what makes the research so uncomfortable: it is done on sentient beings who are close to us in essential ways.

Do humans have the right to have control over animals, especially ones with high intelligence and emotional capability, an intelligence and emotional capability very similar to our own?
What do humans owe animals, especially chimpanzees? What do we owe them in captivity? What do we owe them in the wild?

Is this lawsuit sensible? Is it just? Is is weak or even silly? What are the ethics of this issue? What are the practicalities?

I have defined “habeus corpus” at the bottom of “The Humanity of Nonhumans.” Please look up any other words you don’t know in the dictionary.

ALL SOURCES SHOULD BE FROM THE ARTICLES

What do humans owe animals, especially chimpanzees? What do we owe them in captivity? What do we owe them in the wild?

Is this lawsuit sensible? Is it just? Is is weak or even silly? What are the ethics of this issue? What are the practicalities?

I have defined “habeus corpus” at the bottom of “The Humanity of Nonhumans.” Please look up any other words you don’t know in the dictionary.

ALL SOURCES SHOULD BE FROM THE ARTICLES

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