Richard D. Ryder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard D. Ryder
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Ryder in 2012
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Richard Hood Jack Dudley Ryder
3 July 1940 London, Marylebone, England
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| Known for | Advocacy of animal rights, opposition to animal research, coining of the terms speciesism and painism |
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Audrey Jane Smith
(m. 1974; div. 1999) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Granville Ryder (great-grandfather) |
Richard Hood Jack Dudley Ryder (born 3 July 1940) is an English writer, psychologist, and a strong supporter of animal rights.
In the 1970s, Ryder became a key member of the Oxford Group. This was a group of thinkers at the University of Oxford who began to question how animals were being used by people. They were especially concerned about factory farming and animal research. At the time, Ryder was working as a clinical psychologist and had seen animal research firsthand.
Ryder is famous for creating the word speciesism in 1970. He used it to describe the idea that humans are more important than other animals. He also helped lead the RSPCA, a major animal welfare charity, and organized the first big conference on animal rights in 1977.
He has written several important books on animal rights and science, including Victims of Science (1975) and Animal Revolution (1989). His work has helped change laws in the UK and Europe to give animals better protection.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Ryder was born in London, England, on July 3, 1940. He grew up on his family's estate in Corfe Castle, a village in Dorset.
He studied experimental psychology at the University of Cambridge. Later, he studied animal behavior at Columbia University in the United States and clinical psychology at the University of Edinburgh.
After finishing his studies, Ryder worked as a clinical psychologist. He also became interested in politics and tried to run for Parliament. He later returned to Cambridge and earned a PhD in Social and Political Sciences in 1993.
Fighting for Animal Rights
Ryder's work for animals began in 1969 when he protested an otter hunt. He started writing letters to newspapers, arguing against animal experiments. He knew about these experiments from his time as a researcher.
His letters caught the attention of other thinkers who were also concerned about animals. Together, they formed what Ryder called the "Oxford Group." They worked to spread awareness about animal rights by holding meetings and handing out leaflets.
What is Speciesism?
Ryder invented the term speciesism in 1970. He came up with the word to describe the belief that humans are superior to other species. He felt it was a prejudice, much like racism.
He argued that it was illogical to treat non-human animals differently just because they belong to another species. He pointed out that scientists often use animals for experiments because they are similar to humans. But at the same time, they say it's okay to experiment on them because they are different. Ryder believed this was a contradiction.
The idea of speciesism became very popular after the philosopher Peter Singer used it in his famous book, Animal Liberation (1975). Today, the word is even in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Improving the RSPCA
In the 1970s, Ryder joined a group that wanted to change the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). At the time, the RSPCA mostly focused on pets. Ryder and others wanted the charity to also fight against bigger issues like factory farming and animal testing.
Ryder was elected to the RSPCA's council in 1971. He later became its chairman from 1977 to 1979. Under his leadership, the RSPCA began to focus more on these important issues.
The Idea of Painism
Ryder also developed a moral idea he called painism. The main point of painism is simple: all beings that can feel pain deserve to have rights.
Painism suggests that the most important thing is to reduce the suffering of the individual who is in the most pain. Ryder believes that we cannot "add up" the pleasure of many to justify the pain of one. For example, the happiness of a group of people would not make it okay to cause pain to a single individual.
He explained his ideas in the 2012 movie The Superior Human?, where he talked about coining the word speciesism and the importance of painism.
Selected Books
- Victims of Science: The Use of Animals in Research (1975)
- Animal Revolution: Changing Attitudes Towards Speciesism (1989)
- Painism: A Modern Morality (2001)
- Putting Morality Back into Politics (2006)
- Speciesism, Painism and Happiness (2011)
See also
In Spanish: Richard D. Ryder para niños
- List of animal rights advocates
- Sentiocentrism
