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  3. Often called the intellectual leader of the animal-rights movement, Regan "is the foremost philosopher in this country in the fi

Often called the intellectual leader of the animal-rights movement, Regan "is the foremost philosopher in this country in the fi

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问题      Often called the intellectual leader of the animal-rights movement, Regan "is the foremost philosopher in this country in the field of the moral status of non-rational animals", says Bob Bryan, former chairman of the N.C. State Philosophy and Religion Department. Regan has lectured from Stockholm to Melbourne about the importance of recognizing animals as part of the evolving field of ethics. His books, The Case for Animal Rights and In Defense of Animal Rights, are widely acknowledged as having cemented the roots of the modem animal-rights movement in academia.
     To be sure, vegetarianism dates back to Plato and Plutarch. And in America, the first cruelty busts happened in the late 19th century in New York. But society viewed animals largely as properties, until Regan and a handful of other philosophers pushed animal-rights issues into the academic mainstream. Indeed, this academic focus has dramatically altered how Americans approach the ethics of husbandry, some observers say. Once-radical ideas have been firmly woven into society.
     Regan envisions a type of "bill of rights" for animals, including the abandonment of pet ownership, elimination of a meat-based diet, and new standards for biomedical research on animals. Essentially, he wants to establish a new kind of solidarity with animals, and stop animal husbandry altogether. "In addition to the visible achievements and changes, there’s been what I might call an invisible revolution taking place, and that revolution is the seriousness with which the issue of animal rights is taken in the academy and in higher education," Regan says.
     But with Regan planning to retire in December, a growing number of farmers, doctors, and others are questioning the sustainability of his ideas. Increasingly, Americans who feel their rights have become secondary to animals’ rights are speaking out against a wave of arson attacks on farmers and pies thrown in the faces of researchers. Radical groups, with sometimes-violent tactics, have been accused of scaring farmers away from speaking up for traditional agrarian values. Indeed, tensions are only rising between animal-rights activists and groups that have traditionally used the land with an eye toward animals’ overall welfare, not their "right" to be happy or to live long lives.
      The controversy around Regan is heightened by the fact that he’s no pacifist. He says he believes it’s OK to break the law for a greater purpose. He calls it the "greater-evil doctrine", the idea that there’s moral hierarchy to crime. "I think that you can win in court, and that’s what I tell people," Regan says. "I don’t believe that you should run and hide." The shift in the level of respect has been "seismic", he says. "Contrary to what a lot of people think, there really has been a recognition that there are some things that human beings should not be permitted to do to animals. Where the human heart has grown is in the recognition of what is to be prohibited."  
What is the "invisible revolution" mentioned in the third paragraph?
选项 A、Academia begins to take animal-rights movement seriously
B、Violence should sometimes be used to protect animal rights.
C、An attempt has been made to stop animal husbandry altogether.
D、The bill of rights for animals has been written into the law.
答案A
解析 定位于文章第三段最后一句“他说，除了看得见的成就和变化外，一场革命正在发生，我称之为看不见的革命，即学术界和高等教育界对待动物权利的问题非常认真”，由此可知答案为A 。
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