The Rise And Rise Of
Animal Rights

All talk of rights, a philosopher once remarked, is 'nonsense on stilts' - and that was before anyone had dreamt up

'animal rights'.

This two-part documentary (concluding tomorrow) nails its colours to the mast early on, describing animal rights as 'a myth' and plain 'wrong'.

However, it is no polemic, but a fascinating account of where the idea came from and how it developed.

Part one traces changing attitudes to animals from the early Fifties to the late Seventies, with ample archive illustration and contributions from philosophers, theologians, activists and others - including the undercover reporter who found the notorious 'smoking beagles'.

Most watched News videos