Should animals have rights?

Should animals have rights?

Author: LSE May 12, 2026 Duration: 30:20

From the pets we love to the animals we rarely see, our relationship with non-human life is full of contradictions. In this episode, we explore what it really means to protect animals and whether welfare is enough, or if rights are the way forward.

Beginning with a simple question inspired by my own dog, Pip, this episode moves from the personal to the global. Through conversations with experts including Jeff Sebo, Jonathan Birch, Jo-Anne McArthur and Carrie Friese, we examine how ideas about sentience, law, and ethics are shaping the future of animal protection.

In this episode of LSE iQ, Mike Wilkerson asks: Should animals have rights?

This year’s #LSEFestival, taking place from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 June 2026, will explore the impact of these global challenges, and how individuals, communities, organisations, corporations, and those with political power should be tackling them to save the planet!

Find out more info and browse the programme here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/Events/LSE-Festival/2026


Each month, the LSE IQ podcast poses a single, compelling question about the forces shaping our world. Produced by the LSE Film and Audio Team, it draws directly on the rigorous and diverse thought found at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Rather than broad surveys, each episode focuses deeply on one intelligent query, bringing in leading social scientists and specialists to unpack it from multiple angles. You’ll hear nuanced conversations that go beyond headlines, exploring the research and evidence behind issues in economics, politics, and society. The discussions are grounded in academic expertise but designed for anyone curious about how complex systems actually work. Tuning into this podcast means getting a clearer, more thoughtful understanding of the ideas and debates that define our times, all through the lens of cutting-edge social science. It’s a monthly opportunity to engage with serious inquiry, making the often-abstract tangible and relevant.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 82

LSE IQ podcast
Podcast Episodes
What’s the future of capitalism? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:03
Capitalism and free markets have lifted billions out of poverty across the globe. But it is also blamed for widening the gap between rich and poor - with increasing numbers of people feeling left behind.
Why do we need foodbanks? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:17
This month we’re re-running an episode from 2019 about an issue which has come back into focus with the cost-of-living crisis.
Should you follow your passion? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:42
This episode of LSE iQ asks whether the advice to ‘follow you heart’ or to ‘find your calling’, is good advice.
Can mothers do it all? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:17
In this episode, Nathalie Abbott speaks to Shani Orgad (Professor of Media and Communications at LSE) about representations of mothers, and what effects these have on all of us.
Has COVID killed the office? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:34
What does the post-pandemic future hold for office workers?
Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:05
Conspiracy theories fomented by political division and a global pandemic have gained traction in the public consciousness in the last couple of years. Why do people become involved in conspiratorial thinking?
What does it really mean to be a citizen? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:16
Citizenship. What does that word really signify? This episode of LSE IQ takes a look at the issue in all its complexities...
Do algorithms have too much power? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:34
Computer algorithms shape our lives and increasingly control our future, but how much power should we give to them and have we let things go too far?