Babies and Beasts

Both its defenders and detractors have described the argument from marginal cases as the most important to date in defense of animal rights. Hotly debated among philosophers for some twenty years, the argument concludes that no morally relevant characteristic distinguishes human beings–including infants, the severely retarded, the comatose, and other ''marginal cases''--from any other animals.Babies and Beasts presents the first book-length exploration of the broad range of views relating to the argument from marginal cases and sorts out and evaluates its various uses and abuses.''Dombrowski's excellent book provides a clear, readable account of the debate that touches all the bases. His critical assessments are always sensible and his own view could become an important option in the field.'' -- James Rachels, author of Created from Animals: The Moral Implication of Darwinism