Wellman correctly responds that the view that infants do not have rights does not imply that we have no moral reasons to refrain from mistreating them.
Williams argues that is it absurd to hold that infants do not have rights because this view implies that we have no moral reasons to refrain from mistreating infants.
Mistreating prisoners of war is an even more serious violation of international law.
The law provides for severe penalties of up to £1,000 per animal on conviction for mistreating animals in transport.
Is he suggesting that because it would infringe individual liberty, it would be wrong to enact any legislation that stopped someone mistreating a dog or any other animal?
They want the numbers to be controlled, but they would not wish to treat a fox cruelly in a bear-baiting way, setting dogs on it or otherwise mistreating it.
Mistreating any person is a crime.
The duty is both moral and legal, and the benefit is that the animals are often their primary asset, so they have no interest in mistreating them in any way.
