Abstract

People attempt to attain happiness by advocating love, peace and kindness toward other human beings. This approach, however, overlooks the harm and suffering that humans cause to nonhuman lifeforms. Such actions unknowingly undermine their meritorious efforts. Nonhumans are recognized as also consisting of the fundamental essence which is similar in substance and potential for all living beings; the phenomenon popularly referred to as 'life'. For happiness to increase, individually and collectively, the well-being of nonhuman beings must be considered as of equal importance to that of humans. The arguments supporting this claim are based on an understanding of reality that is found in both Eastern and Western philosophy. This view sees that all living beings consist in essence of an ideal, perfect soul and a material body. It is the soul which underlies the 'life' phenomenon. Embodied souls are striving to attain their natural state of perfection. The soul in its pure, perfect state has the potential for unlimited happiness and love. Actions which cause harm and suffering are not in accordance with happiness and love. Consequently, such acts are viewed as not being representative of fundamental human nature. For human development to occur properly, individual conduct must coincide with one's innate, nonharming nature. The animal rights movement, it is argued, is a particular manifestation of the nonharming aspect of human nature; and is instrumental in the development and subsequent attainment of the experience of unlimited happiness and love. It provides humans with the opportunity to act in accordance with the real nature of their soul by extending equal care and concern to these other forms of life. Based on the reality of the soul and its nature, the moral guidelines necessary to achieve the ideal state result in an ethic of unconditional love for all living beings