This article examines animal rights from the point of view of the vegan. Veganism and animal rights have become current subjects of conversation in the Finland of the 1990s. Vegans aim not to cause pain or death to any animal, either through their own actions or those of other humans. They neither eat nor wear animal products. Vegans think that animals have rights just as human beings have rights.
Animals have the right to liberty, the right to their natural life style and the right to life.
In practice, respect for animal rights means that humans should abondon all exploitation of animals. There are different ways of defending animal rights. The most important ways are firstly vegetarism, secondly joining organisations like the Vegan Society and the animal rights movement and thirdly non-violent civil disobedience. Vegans feel sympathy for the radical activists, but only a few vegans actually participate in illegal action. Defending animal rights can be seen as an integral part of the ecological world view of vegans.