Animalhood and subjectivity. (Non-human) animals as legal subjects

Abstract

In the light of the recent transformation of the definition of mistreatment of animals, adequately reshaped as an offense of mistreatment of an animal, the paper develops an argument defending the attribution of the status of legal subjects to non-human animals as individually considered beings. After clarifying the sense in which the notion of legal subject defines a distinctive normative status, anchored to individual condition of being a holder of interests, the paper explores the particular rereading of Kant’s practical philosophy upon which Korsgaard has persuasively attempted to ground the ascription of subjective rights to non-human animals.