The Vegan's Notebook
Ethics
The ethical arguments for veganism arise from several sources. Historically, some religious movements have lead to behavior similar to vegetarianism for the sake of compassion or moral purity. I've extensively used wikipedia here; however I often disagree with many of their statements (such as about PETA as factually inaccurate.
- The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Regan
- Tom Regan is a considered a leader of the modern Animal Rights movement
- Speciesism vs. Inalienable Rights
- An overview of the argument that animals deserve rights.
- The Philosophy of Animal Rights by Dr. Tom Regan
- Addresses the most common issues that non-vegetarians raise. I really wish that someone had pointed this out to me years earlier. Note that the essay begins with a firm statement of the inalienable rights each human possesses. Each could have more detail, but there's a consistent argument made for animal rights.
Philosophers
- Peter Singer
- Ethicist, Author of Animal Liberation.
Religious
Animal Testing
Modern approaches to veganism include the acknowledgement that reducing cruelty from uneccessary animal testing is at least as important as products made from animals. The Vegetarian Site maintains a list of product brands tested on animals.