"Open letter to animals"

Article from L'Obs and Le Parisien, June 24, 2017 –

Paris (AFP) – Is man superior to animals? Frédéric Lenoir, a committed philosopher, deconstructs this theory by demonstrating that the animal is different, neither inferior nor equal to man, in his new book "Open Letter to Animals and Those Who Love Them", published at the end of May by Fayard.

"I wrote this book because I have been interested in animals for a long time. I got involved three years ago when the association 30 Million Friends contacted me to change the civil code. Shortly after the publication in the press of a petition by intellectuals, the animal was recognized as a 'sentient being' and no longer as a 'movable property'," he told AFP .

In his book, Frédéric Lenoir discusses the major philosophical and religious currents. "Only men could address the gods," which "led humans to dominate and exploit animals and to consider them as things," he emphasizes.

However, "each animal species has its differences and unique characteristics." "We need to break free from this logic in which we have been trapped for 2,500 years, which consists of putting humans on one side and all other species on the other," says the animal lover, who "has formed emotional bonds with six cats and three dogs, six of whom have died" and whom he "mourned like dear friends.".

"Showing humanity no longer simply means respecting other human beings, but every living being, according to its degree of sensitivity and consciousness," he argues.

Frédéric Lenoir refers to "the moral schizophrenia of the man who cherishes his dog or cat, but who has no empathy for calves or sheep led without consideration to the slaughterhouse.".

“What really convinced me to get more involved in this fight for animals were the videos from L214 (an animal rights organization) which revealed the appalling conditions in factory farms and slaughterhouses,” he adds. “This scandalous situation must end!”

And change can only come through "the evolution of our lifestyles and consumption patterns.".

– An “ethical animal label” –

“I’m not against eating meat; humans are omnivores, it’s not immoral. On the other hand, what is immoral is intensive industrial farming. We raise animals that will suffer from birth to death,” the philosopher protests, advocating “a return to humane-scale farming.”.

Having grown up in the mountains with farm animals, he calls "for a decrease in meat consumption to return to traditional farming where the animal has a more or less normal life".

His priority: to define an ethic for animals that takes into account their level of intelligence and sensitivity. Because "the more intelligent an animal is, the more it is capable of suffering, the more it must be respected. Killing a mosquito does not have the same moral value as killing a pig or a dog, which have great intelligence and great sensitivity.".

For this ardent animal rights advocate, "their first right is to live a decent existence, according to their nature, even if they are destined to be eaten one day.".

To change attitudes, the philosopher advocates for the implementation of an "ethical animal label" that would allow for better traceability of meat. "Consumers would see that the animal was treated with respect throughout its life, lived outdoors, and was slaughtered on the farm, for example. They would then have the choice to buy more expensive meat, and that would make a difference," he believes.

With his recently created association "Together for Animals ," which brings together various associations, Frédéric Lenoir will soon ask the public authorities to create a State Secretariat for Animal Welfare or an administrative authority—like the CSA for audiovisual media—"that takes into account animal welfare and not just the interests of humans!"