SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS (TURKISH, NONTHESIS)
Master TR-NQF-HE: Level 7 QF-EHEA: Second Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 7

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
LAW2006 Animal Rights Fall 0 2 1 4
The course opens with the approval of the Department at the beginning of each semester

Basic information

Language of instruction: En
Type of course: Departmental Elective
Course Level:
Mode of Delivery: E-Learning
Course Coordinator : Assist. Prof. MERT NOMER
Course Objectives: This course aims to enhance students' understanding of animal rights through theoretical and philosophical perspectives, fostering critical thinking and raising awareness about the legal and ethical dimensions of human-animal relationships. By delving into historical, cultural, and legal contexts, students will explore the key debates and frameworks that shape animal rights discourse and its applications in law.

Learning Outputs

The students who have succeeded in this course;
By completing this course, students will:

1. Understand the distinctions between animal welfare and rights and their legal and philosophical foundations.
2. Analyze key animal rights theories, including utilitarianism, rights-based, and abolitionist approaches, alongside arguments from thinkers like Singer, Regan, and Francione.
3. Trace the historical evolution of human-animal relationships and their legal and ethical implications.
4. Explore legal frameworks, including personhood, guardianship models, and Turkey’s legislative and judicial developments on animal rights.
5. Develop critical thinking and legal reasoning skills to address contemporary challenges in animal rights and activism.

Course Content


The course examines animal rights theory from philosophical, legal, and ethical perspectives, exploring the historical transformation of human-animal relationships. It analyzes key theories such as natural law, utilitarianism, rights-based approaches, and abolitionist theory. Discussions focus on anthropocentrism, ethical responsibilities, the legal status of animals, and representation models. The course explores the perspectives of thinkers such as Bentham, Singer, Regan, Francione, and Nussbaum. It also evaluates the relationship between animal rights and theories of justice, global perspectives, and legal developments in Turkey.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) • Overview of the course scope and structure • Explanation of the course plan and chosen topics • Discussion of course objectives and learning outcomes • Introduction to course requirements, including assignments, exams, and participation expectations • Brief introduction to the concept of animal rights and its significance
2) • Basic terminology and conceptual framework • What is animal theory? • Historical transformation of human-animal relations • The emergence of modern animal rights movement • Animals in Classical Thought o Animal perception in Ancient Greece (Aristotle, Plutarch) o Medieval thought and animals o Cartesian dualism and pre-modern discussions
3) • Understanding the concept of anthropocentrism • Historical and cultural roots of anthropocentric thinking • Critiques of anthropocentrism in modern thought • Anthropocentrism and its implications for environmental ethics and animal rights
4) • Classical utilitarianism and animals (Bentham, Mill) • Peter Singer and “Animal Liberation” • Contemporary utilitarian approaches
5) • Tom Regan and "subject-of-a-life" theory • Bernard Rollin's rights theory and Kantian foundation • Universal fundamental rights discussion
6) • Gary Francione and critique of “animal property” • “Vegan Revolution” discussion • Practical implications of abolitionist approach
7) • Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach • How care ethics and other relationship-based moral frameworks offer different insights into human-animal relationships • Kantian approach to animal ethics
8) • Subject/object dichotomy in legal theory • Concept of legal personhood and animals • New approaches in contemporary legal theory
9)
10) • Guardianship models • Powers and limits of representation • Comparative law examples
11) • Theoretical foundations of welfare and rights paradigms • Legal implications of both approaches • Comparative analysis of protection models • Hybrid approaches and new perspectives
12) • Animals in theories of justice • Distributive justice and animal rights • Animal rights from global justice perspective • Citizenship and constitutional debates
13) • Legislative analysis • Scientific research and ethical dimension • Legal framework of industrial farming • Regulations regarding wild animals
14) • Protection of companion animals • Stray animals and policy • Judicial developments and case law analysis • Strategic litigation management • Legal activism and roadmap

Sources

Course Notes:
References: ● Singer, Peter. Animal Liberation Now: The Definitive Classic Renewed. New York: Harper Perennial, 2023. ● Regan, Tom. The Case for Animal Rights. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004. ● Francione, Gary L. Animals, Property, and the Law. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995. ● Donaldson, Sue, and Will Kymlicka. Zoopolis: A Political Theory of Animal Rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. ● Sunstein, Cass R., and Martha C. Nussbaum, eds. Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance % 0
Laboratory % 0
Application % 0
Field Work % 0
Special Course Internship (Work Placement) % 0
Quizzes 10 % 20
Homework Assignments 1 % 15
Presentation 1 % 15
Project % 0
Seminar % 0
Midterms % 0
Preliminary Jury % 0
Final 1 % 50
Paper Submission % 0
Jury % 0
Bütünleme % 0
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 50
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 50
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours 13 2 26
Laboratory 0 0 0
Application 0 0 0
Special Course Internship (Work Placement) 0 0 0
Field Work 0 0 0
Study Hours Out of Class 13 4 52
Presentations / Seminar 1 1 1
Project 0 0 0
Homework Assignments 1 5 5
Quizzes 10 1 10
Preliminary Jury 0 0 0
Midterms 0 0 0
Paper Submission 0 0 0
Jury 0 0 0
Final 1 2 2
Total Workload 96

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution