While less adopted by governments, animal rights philosophy is increasingly influential in activism, litigation, and cultural shifts.
The core tenet of animal rights is that animals have fundamental rights—most notably, the right not to be used as resources. This means no experiments, no slaughter, no breeding for consumption, no circuses, and no zoos.
The "slippery slope" criticism is real. If a pig has a right to life, and a carrot does not, where do we draw the line? Do mosquitoes have rights? What about brain-dead humans versus highly intelligent octopuses?