An Issue about Legal Enforcement
Suppose non-human animals have moral standing. This is obviously a controversial supposition. My point here is not to debate it, but to treat it as a given, arguendo . If you want to debate it, I'm glad to do so at another time and in another post. My question—and it is genuinely a question—is: how might this moral standing be reflected in the legal order of a stateless society? At present, the state plays the role of half-hearted trustee on behalf of some non-human animals. Obviously, its doing so involves the same sorts of risks that are involved in any purportedly protective action by the state. In a stateless society, it is often, and plausibly, suggested, property rights might well help to ensure the preservation of natural treasures like the Grand Canyon. And, even in an anarchist community with markets, these property rights could perfectly well be common . Similarly, more narrowly “environmental” concerns—effectively, battery and trespass concerns—could be aptly addressed b