[N]ew research suggests that animals have far more complex cognitive and social skills than we g[i]ve them credit for. The focus in recent decades has been on wildlife but the uncomfortable truth now emerging is that something similar holds for animals we like to eat: pigs, sheep, cows, chickens.
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American animal rights lawyer Steven Wise... argues that the foundation for according basic civil liberties to people is that they possess "practical autonomy" - that is, a sense of self, plus the ability to desire something and to have the intention of fulfilling that desire. Roaming through the literature on animal cognition, he found that this applied to quite a lot of animals - namely the great apes, elephants, dolphins, African grey parrots, dogs and honey bees. Now he says it applies to some farm animals too.
Of course, it's possible to mock here. But one can mock anything. Indeed sometimes it's an apt thing to do. But in itself mocking supplies no reasons. And reasons are also good - and needed.
