No I don't agree, Lestat. I am not talking about the species in the abstract, because this discussion hinges on the justifications for ways of treating people and animals. Those are individuals first. And many of the justifications are about specific characteristics which are held to differentiate man from animals. So long as we do not bring it down to the individual level it looks relatively easy. But it is not.
We are as unique as a species as any other, no more and no less. All animals which exist are "fittest" by definition. It is an absurdity, but T H White was right when he suggested that if you asked a cat what is the most important characteristic it would say claws and agility - not for example intelligence ( and I know that even if a lion spoke to me in perfect english I would not understand what it had to say. This is not anthropomorphism)
As I said, I am partisan. I am not persuaded it is rational and I do not see why it should be really. Very little is
