The debate over animal rights is as old as Voltaire, as old as Aristotle. But as you'll hear today, it turned some kind of modern corner in 1975 with the publication of "Animal Liberation: Towards an End to Man's Inhumanity to Animals" by the Australian philosopher, Peter Singer.
Something about Singer's arguement penetrated the people who read it in a way that had not happened before. One of those people was Ingrid Newkirk, founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who visited the Mark Twain House recently, when she recorded this interview with me. For that reason, you won't be able to call into this show, which is a shame, because I think some of you would have had questions and challenges that I didn't think to make.
I had heard the name Ingrid Newkirk, and formed a mental picture of her which turned out to be completely wrong. On today's show, you'll hear a wide-ranging conversation about the beginning of PETA, the evolution of its research and methods, and what helps keep her sane in a hard-fought battle against animal abuse.
Questions or comments? Write below, email Colin@wnpr.org, or tweet @wnprcolin.
GUEST:
- Ingrid Newkirk is the Co-Founder of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
