Equality, Priority and Nonhuman Animals*

Abstract

This paper assesses the implications of egalitarianism and prioritarianism for the consideration of nonhuman animals. These implications have been often overlooked. The paper argues that neither egalitarianism nor prioritarianism can consistently deprive nonhuman animals of moral consideration. If you really are an egalitarian (or a prioritarian) you are necessarily committed both to the rejection of speciesism and to assigning priority to the interests of nonhuman animals, since they are the worst-off. From this, important practical consequen­ces follow for the improvement of the current situation of nonhuman animals.