Should animals have rights?

Should animals have rights?

From LSE Podcasts by LSE Podcasts

May 12, 2026 · 30 min

About this episode

This episode explores the complexities of animal rights and welfare through expert discussions.

From the pets we love to the animals we rarely see, our relationship with non-human life is full of contradictions. In this episode, we explore what it really means to protect animals and whether welfare is enough, or if rights are the way forward. Beginning with a simple question inspired by my own dog, Pip, this episode moves from the personal to the global. Through conversations with experts including Jeff Sebo, Jonathan Birch, Jo-Anne McArthur and Carrie Friese, we examine how ideas about sentience, law, and ethics are shaping the future of animal protection. In this episode of LSE iQ, Mike Wilkerson asks: Should animals have rights? Jonathan Birch, Director of the Jeremy Collier Centre, LSE “What we need, I think, at minimum, is to see really egregiously cruel practices like dropping crabs and lobsters into pans of boiling water, banned in a really clear, unambiguous way. I think there should be a first step to much more detailed, meaningful guidance on how to treat them.” Jeff Sebo, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, NYU “And if all we aspire to do is protect animal welfare and ensure humane, compassionate treatment of animals, then people will conveniently…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Wilkerson

Guests: Jeff Sebo, Jonathan Birch, Jo-Anne McArthur

Topics covered

  • animal rights
  • animal welfare
  • sentience
  • ethics
  • animal protection
  • law

Keywords

  • animal rights
  • animal welfare
  • sentience
  • ethics
  • animal protection
  • law
  • animal advocacy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: LSE, NYU, We Animals, Jeremy Collier Centre

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