In 2008, Spain became the first country to commit to the Great Apes Project, an initiative from scientists and philosophers who believe that the great apes – gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans – should be granted basic rights. But what would extending rights to apes actually mean? Does extending the concept of human rights to great apes make any sense from a moral philosophical point of view? Are rights, like the capacity to make moral judgements about whether or not to protect other species, something only humans can appreciate? An absorbing Battle of Ideas debate.
Recommended links:
- Book by Dr Helene Guldberg: Just another ape?
