Fasels Species Membership Approach to Robot Rights: A Response Date: December 15, 2023 The State of Animal Rights Literature Current animal rights literature suffers a few problems: 1. The properties problem 2. The measurement problem 3. The inclusiveness problem 4. The part versus whole problem For example: 1. Panama's Historic 'Rights of Nature' Law Empowers Sea Turtles, Granting Legal Rights To Protect Nature 2. Ecuador's Constitutional Court Rules Wild Animals Are Subjects of Legal Rights Under the Rights of Nature Critique of Fasel's Approach 1. Sidesteps and conflates important concepts 2. Mischaracterizes the properties approach 3. Overlooks relevant intellectual movements Sidesteps and Conflates Important Concepts - Legal Entitlements - Legal Personhood - Legal Rights Mischaracterizes the Properties Approach  Argument from marginal cases  False hierarchy Source: Wise (2002) Overlooks Relevant Intellectual Movements  For examples: 1. Critical environmental law 2. Legal ontological turn 3. New materialism 4. Relational turn  All challenge Eurocentric, hegemonic notions of epistemology and ontology Solution: Maximal Reflexiveness Mandate disclosure of normative and theoretical commitments by answering the following questions: 1) To which jurisdiction(s) and nonhuman entities do(es) your discussion apply? 2) Which theoretical paradigm(s) and worldviews inform your perspective? 3) How would you describe the ontological orientation of your work (i.e., anthropocentric, biocentric, ecocentrism, info centric, etc.)? Conclusion - Embrace epistemic humility for a more just, more-than-human world. - Fasel's Species Membership Approach is a step forward, but highlights the need to transcend Eurocentric limitations.