Uses a variety of historical sources and a social theory to tell the story of the invention of animal rights. It moves from incidents like the medieval execution of pigs to a discussion of the politics and strategies of modern animal rights organizations. The book also presents radical interpretations of 19th-century animal welfare laws, and the accounts of the Noble Savage. The insights generated by social science are always at the core of the discussion and the author draws on the work of Michel Foucault, Norbert Elias, Claude Levi-Strauss and Mary Douglas. This text provides an account of the relations between humans and animals. It raises questions about the philosophy, history and politics of animal rights.