I think if you're against cruelty and you look at what happens to animals in slaughterhouses and on factory farms, you have to be completely against eating meat.
Ingrid NewkirkRead
[I believe] that animals have a worth in and of themselves, and that they are not inferior to human beings but rather just different from us, and that they really don't exist for us nor do they belong to us...it should not be a question of how they should be treated within the context of their usefulness, or perceived usefulness, to us, but rather whether we have a right to use them at all.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the intrinsic value of animals, advocating for their treatment beyond human utility.
In this quote, Ingrid Newkirk expresses the belief that animals possess their own inherent worth, separate from their usefulness to humans. She argues that we must consider not just how we use and treat them, but also reflect on the moral implications of whether we have the right to use them at all, thereby prompting a reevaluation of our relationship with other species.
Themes
AnimalsWorthRightsIntrinsic ValueTreatment
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about animal rights, you could cite this quote to emphasize the importance of recognizing the inherent dignity of all living beings.
More from Ingrid Newkirk
All quotes →It is only human supremacy, which is as unacceptable as racism and sexism, that makes us afraid of being more inclusive.
Ingrid NewkirkRead
Similar quotes
If we did a good act merely from love of God and a belief that it is pleasing to Him, whence arises the morality of the Atheist? ...Their virtue, then, must have had some other foundation than the love of God.
Thomas JeffersonRead
The essence of compassion is a desire to alleviate the suffering of others and to promote their well-being
Dalai LamaRead
I don't need anyone to rectify my existence. The most profound relationship we will ever have is the one with ourselves.
Shirley MaclaineRead
It is the nature of aphoristic thinking to be always in a state of concluding; a bid to have the final word is inherent in all powerful phrase-making.
Susan SontagRead
Hell, in my opinion, is never finding your true self and never living your own life or knowing who you are.
John BradshawRead
Most people would say the meaning of life is to make the world a little more beautiful, or nicer, or more interesting. But how? These days, our main answer to that is: through work.
Rutger BregmanRead