Finally, Carruthers declares that animals do not have a moral status by saying that they are not “rational agents”, which is “...a creature that has beliefs, and acts on them to satisfy its desires.” (Carruthers, 1999, p. 126). Carruthers believes that mammals do have forms of desires and views, but still does not consider them as rational agents. Since Carruthers talks about the issue of animals and whether they should attain ethical rights, is from a contractalists perspective; the term “rational agents” from a contractualists viewpoint, is where “...an animal must not only be capable of acting to satisfy its immediate desires, but also of constructing and following a long-term plan.” (Carruthers, 1999, p. 134). Essentially, rational agents
