The “first wave” of philosophical literature on animals, in the
1970s and early 80s, mirrored the dominant debate among
moral philosophers generally, pitting consequentialists (e.g.
Singer) against deontologists (e.g. Regan). This paper presents an
overview of the more recent literature on animals, including
contractarian, virtue-based, and sociobiological approaches, with
an emphasis on implications for the ethics of animal experimentation.