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John Hadley

Western Sydney University, Humanities and Communication Arts, Faculty Member

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John Hadley is a senior lecturer in philosophy in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts at Western Sydney University. He was formerly a lecturer in philosophy in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Lecturer in Communication Ethics in the School of Communication, at Charles Sturt University. He is the author of Animal Property Rights: A Theory of Property Rights for Wild Animals (Lexington 2015) and Animal Neopragmatism: From Welfare to Rights (Palgrave McMillan 2019).

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Papers by John Hadley

Review of 'What We Owe to Animals: The Historical Pretensions of Reason and Felt Kinship' by Gary Steiner

Forthcoming in Society and Animals

Review of Josh Milburn: Food, Justice and Animals: Feeding the World Respectfully

Environmental Philosophy, 2025

Reviewed by John Hadley, Western Sydney University This book is not your standard rollcall of the... more Reviewed by John Hadley, Western Sydney University This book is not your standard rollcall of the ethics of food production. Milburn's concern is neither to draw attention to the suffering of animals in factory farms nor the destruction of the environment in broad-scale plant agriculture; instead, he aims to show that respecting animal rights does not entail veganism. In Milburn's ideal animal rights-respecting liberal democratic state (he refers to it as the 'zoopolis'), "you can have your cow and eat her too" (Milburn 2023, 184).

Street Photography Ethics

Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 2022

In this paper I examine the ethics of street photography. I firstly discuss the close-up 'in-your... more In this paper I examine the ethics of street photography. I firstly discuss the close-up 'in-your-face' style street photography made famous by American photographer, Bruce Gilden. In close-up street photography, the proximity of the camera to the subject and the element of surprise work in tandem to produce a striking and evocative picture. Close-up street photography is shown to be ethically contentious on wellbeing-related and autonomy-related grounds. I next examine the more orthodox 'respectable distance' kind of street photography. In orthodox street photography, the photographer positions the camera some distance away from a nonconsenting subject that may or may not be aware a picture is to be taken. The main ethical problem with this form of street photography relates to the subject's vanity and sense of self. When street photographers produce and publish images without the consent of subjects, they express their own creative freedom at the expense of the subject's right to editorial control. I discuss the scope and potentially demanding practical implications of a right to editorial control. To conclude, I offer a workable solution to the ethical dilemma facing street photographers and discuss the implications of smart phones and photo-sharing social media platforms.

Review of Animal Experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change

Review of recent collection edited by Katherin Hermann and Kimberley Jayne. Forthcoming in Animal... more

Introduction to 'Animal Neopragmatism: From Welfare to Rights'

Animal Neopragmatism: From Welfare to Rights, 2019

The opening chapter to 'Animal Neopragmatism: From Welfare to Rights' (Palgrave Macmillan 2019). ... more The opening chapter to 'Animal Neopragmatism: From Welfare to Rights' (Palgrave Macmillan 2019). I explain the theoretical and practical motivations for neopragmatism in animal ethics, and sketch the pragmatist critique of traditional animal right theory. I introduce the key concepts of animal neopragmatism: relational hedonism and expressivism.

Wild Animals as Political Subjects

Routledge Handbook of Animal Ethics, 2019

In this paper I discuss the political subject question: should free-roaming nonhuman animals be c... more In this paper I discuss the political subject question: should free-roaming nonhuman animals be considered as legitimate stakeholders in liberal democratic states? I explore positive and negative answers to the question. A number of normative political theories are discussed: Rawlsian theory, Lockean theory, animal property rights theory, wild animal sovereignty theory, the interest theory of animal rights and the inherent value theory of animal rights. The issue of reparations to animals is also discussed. The conclusion is that a sound answer to the political subject question turns upon the nature of animal mental states.

Post-Darwin skepticism and run-of-the-mill suicide

Animal Sentience, 2018

Peña-Guzmán's depiction of the opponent of animal suicide as a conservative is a straw man. It is... more Peña-Guzmán's depiction of the opponent of animal suicide as a conservative is a straw man. It is possible to accept that animals are self-conscious and reflexive yet still reject the view that they have the mental wherewithal to commit run-of-the-mill suicide. That animal behaviour can be positioned onto a continuum of self-destructive behaviour does not establish that animals can intentionally kill themselves.

From welfare to rights without changing the subject

In this paper I introduce the 'changing the subject' problem. When proponents of animal protectio... more In this paper I introduce the 'changing the subject' problem. When proponents of animal protection use terms such as dignity and respect, they can be fairly accused of shifting debate from welfare to rights because the terms purportedly refer to properties and values that are logically distinct from the capacity to suffer and the moral
significance of causing animals pain. To avoid this problem, and ensure that debate proceeds in the familiar terms of the established welfare paradigm, I present an expressivist analysis of animal rights vocabulary. Drawing upon Helm's theory of love, I show how the usage of rights vocabulary can be a respectable way for people to register their concern for the welfare of animals, even at times when it is unlikely that the animals concerned are suffering. Tying rights vocabulary to welfare via expressivism aligns the aims of animal rights with welfare without the theoretical problems associated with attempts to 'reduce' dignity or respect to natural behaviour or inherent value.

Does a painless death harm an invertebrate?

My aim in this paper is to explain a meaningful sense in which death is a misfortune for an inver... more My aim in this paper is to explain a meaningful sense in which death is a misfortune for an invertebrate. The account presented is a logical implication of bringing together two distinct pieces of theory: the deprivation account of the harm of death, and the biocentric ethical theory developed by the New Zealand philosopher, Nicholas Agar. Combined, the two theories support the following thesis: death harms an invertebrate because it deprives the individual of future 'biopreference' satisfaction.

Nonautonomous sentient beings and original acquisition

I pose a dilemma for proponents libertarian political theory. First horn: if libertarians restric... more I pose a dilemma for proponents libertarian political theory. First horn: if libertarians restrict the right to originally acquire property to autonomous agents only, then some human beings will be denied a right to acquire property for themselves. Second horn: if libertarians extend the right to originally acquire property to nonautonomous sentient beings, then nonhuman animals will be eligible for property rights. So, libertarianism entails , either, that some human beings can't acquire property or nonhuman animals can acquire property.

Religiosity and public reason: the case of direct action animal rights advocacy

Recent social science research indicates that animal rights philosophy plays the functional role ... more Recent social science research indicates that animal rights philosophy plays the functional role of a religion in the lives of the most committed animal rights advocates. In this paper, I apply the functional religion thesis to the recent debate over the place of direct action animal rights advocacy in democratic theory. I outline the usefulness of the functional religion thesis and explain its implications for theorists that call for deliberative theories to be more inclusive of coercive forms of activism.

Animal property rights: giving animals a seat at the development table

I outline the basic structure of an animal property rights theory and discuss its practical impli... more

Critique of Donaldson and Kymlicka's Wild Animal Sovereignty Theory

In this paper I argue (1) Donaldson and Kymlicka's criticisms of traditional animal rights theory... more

Confining 'disenhanced' animals

Drawing upon evolutionary theory and the work of Daniel Dennett and Nicholas Agar, I offer an arg... more

Animal property rights: justice or conservation

In this paper I compare direct and indirect approaches to animal property rights. I suggest that ... more

Conclusion to Animal Property Rights: A Theory of Habitat Rights for Wild Animals

Final chapter of Animal Property Rights: A Theory of Habitat Rights for Wild Animals (Lanham, MD:... more

A metalevel problem for animal rights theory

In this paper I argue that analytic animal rights theory is plagued by an 'inconsistent triad' pr... more

Introduction: Questioning the Orthodoxy

Introduction to Animal Ethics and Philosophy: Questioning the Orthodoxy, edited by Elisa Aaltola ... more

Animal Rights Advocacy and Legitimate Public Deliberation

Political Studies, 2015

I argue (1) that Humphrey and Stears', and D'Arcy's , arguments in favour of direct action animal... more

Liberty and valuing sentient life

Ethics and the Environment, 2013

I argue that there is a meaningful sense in which a sentient animal can be understood as having a... more I argue that there is a meaningful sense in which a sentient animal can be understood as having an intrinsic interest in liberty. To confine animals is at odds with a 'default picture' of them as free roaming or, at least, unrestrained. People give expression to the feelings of incongruity that arise when they see animals confined by using terms such as 'respect', 'dignity' and 'intrinsic interest'. The use of such terms can be understood in line with expressivism.

Review of 'What We Owe to Animals: The Historical Pretensions of Reason and Felt Kinship' by Gary Steiner

Forthcoming in Society and Animals

Review of Josh Milburn: Food, Justice and Animals: Feeding the World Respectfully

Environmental Philosophy, 2025

Reviewed by John Hadley, Western Sydney University This book is not your standard rollcall of the... more Reviewed by John Hadley, Western Sydney University This book is not your standard rollcall of the ethics of food production. Milburn's concern is neither to draw attention to the suffering of animals in factory farms nor the destruction of the environment in broad-scale plant agriculture; instead, he aims to show that respecting animal rights does not entail veganism. In Milburn's ideal animal rights-respecting liberal democratic state (he refers to it as the 'zoopolis'), "you can have your cow and eat her too" (Milburn 2023, 184).

Street Photography Ethics

Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 2022

In this paper I examine the ethics of street photography. I firstly discuss the close-up 'in-your... more In this paper I examine the ethics of street photography. I firstly discuss the close-up 'in-your-face' style street photography made famous by American photographer, Bruce Gilden. In close-up street photography, the proximity of the camera to the subject and the element of surprise work in tandem to produce a striking and evocative picture. Close-up street photography is shown to be ethically contentious on wellbeing-related and autonomy-related grounds. I next examine the more orthodox 'respectable distance' kind of street photography. In orthodox street photography, the photographer positions the camera some distance away from a nonconsenting subject that may or may not be aware a picture is to be taken. The main ethical problem with this form of street photography relates to the subject's vanity and sense of self. When street photographers produce and publish images without the consent of subjects, they express their own creative freedom at the expense of the subject's right to editorial control. I discuss the scope and potentially demanding practical implications of a right to editorial control. To conclude, I offer a workable solution to the ethical dilemma facing street photographers and discuss the implications of smart phones and photo-sharing social media platforms.

Review of Animal Experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change

Review of recent collection edited by Katherin Hermann and Kimberley Jayne. Forthcoming in Animal... more

Introduction to 'Animal Neopragmatism: From Welfare to Rights'

Animal Neopragmatism: From Welfare to Rights, 2019

The opening chapter to 'Animal Neopragmatism: From Welfare to Rights' (Palgrave Macmillan 2019). ... more The opening chapter to 'Animal Neopragmatism: From Welfare to Rights' (Palgrave Macmillan 2019). I explain the theoretical and practical motivations for neopragmatism in animal ethics, and sketch the pragmatist critique of traditional animal right theory. I introduce the key concepts of animal neopragmatism: relational hedonism and expressivism.

Wild Animals as Political Subjects

Routledge Handbook of Animal Ethics, 2019

In this paper I discuss the political subject question: should free-roaming nonhuman animals be c... more In this paper I discuss the political subject question: should free-roaming nonhuman animals be considered as legitimate stakeholders in liberal democratic states? I explore positive and negative answers to the question. A number of normative political theories are discussed: Rawlsian theory, Lockean theory, animal property rights theory, wild animal sovereignty theory, the interest theory of animal rights and the inherent value theory of animal rights. The issue of reparations to animals is also discussed. The conclusion is that a sound answer to the political subject question turns upon the nature of animal mental states.

Post-Darwin skepticism and run-of-the-mill suicide

Animal Sentience, 2018

Peña-Guzmán's depiction of the opponent of animal suicide as a conservative is a straw man. It is... more Peña-Guzmán's depiction of the opponent of animal suicide as a conservative is a straw man. It is possible to accept that animals are self-conscious and reflexive yet still reject the view that they have the mental wherewithal to commit run-of-the-mill suicide. That animal behaviour can be positioned onto a continuum of self-destructive behaviour does not establish that animals can intentionally kill themselves.

From welfare to rights without changing the subject

In this paper I introduce the 'changing the subject' problem. When proponents of animal protectio... more In this paper I introduce the 'changing the subject' problem. When proponents of animal protection use terms such as dignity and respect, they can be fairly accused of shifting debate from welfare to rights because the terms purportedly refer to properties and values that are logically distinct from the capacity to suffer and the moral
significance of causing animals pain. To avoid this problem, and ensure that debate proceeds in the familiar terms of the established welfare paradigm, I present an expressivist analysis of animal rights vocabulary. Drawing upon Helm's theory of love, I show how the usage of rights vocabulary can be a respectable way for people to register their concern for the welfare of animals, even at times when it is unlikely that the animals concerned are suffering. Tying rights vocabulary to welfare via expressivism aligns the aims of animal rights with welfare without the theoretical problems associated with attempts to 'reduce' dignity or respect to natural behaviour or inherent value.

Does a painless death harm an invertebrate?

My aim in this paper is to explain a meaningful sense in which death is a misfortune for an inver... more My aim in this paper is to explain a meaningful sense in which death is a misfortune for an invertebrate. The account presented is a logical implication of bringing together two distinct pieces of theory: the deprivation account of the harm of death, and the biocentric ethical theory developed by the New Zealand philosopher, Nicholas Agar. Combined, the two theories support the following thesis: death harms an invertebrate because it deprives the individual of future 'biopreference' satisfaction.

Nonautonomous sentient beings and original acquisition

I pose a dilemma for proponents libertarian political theory. First horn: if libertarians restric... more I pose a dilemma for proponents libertarian political theory. First horn: if libertarians restrict the right to originally acquire property to autonomous agents only, then some human beings will be denied a right to acquire property for themselves. Second horn: if libertarians extend the right to originally acquire property to nonautonomous sentient beings, then nonhuman animals will be eligible for property rights. So, libertarianism entails , either, that some human beings can't acquire property or nonhuman animals can acquire property.

Religiosity and public reason: the case of direct action animal rights advocacy

Recent social science research indicates that animal rights philosophy plays the functional role ... more Recent social science research indicates that animal rights philosophy plays the functional role of a religion in the lives of the most committed animal rights advocates. In this paper, I apply the functional religion thesis to the recent debate over the place of direct action animal rights advocacy in democratic theory. I outline the usefulness of the functional religion thesis and explain its implications for theorists that call for deliberative theories to be more inclusive of coercive forms of activism.

Animal property rights: giving animals a seat at the development table

I outline the basic structure of an animal property rights theory and discuss its practical impli... more

Critique of Donaldson and Kymlicka's Wild Animal Sovereignty Theory

In this paper I argue (1) Donaldson and Kymlicka's criticisms of traditional animal rights theory... more

Confining 'disenhanced' animals

Drawing upon evolutionary theory and the work of Daniel Dennett and Nicholas Agar, I offer an arg... more

Animal property rights: justice or conservation

In this paper I compare direct and indirect approaches to animal property rights. I suggest that ... more

Conclusion to Animal Property Rights: A Theory of Habitat Rights for Wild Animals

Final chapter of Animal Property Rights: A Theory of Habitat Rights for Wild Animals (Lanham, MD:... more

A metalevel problem for animal rights theory

In this paper I argue that analytic animal rights theory is plagued by an 'inconsistent triad' pr... more

Introduction: Questioning the Orthodoxy

Introduction to Animal Ethics and Philosophy: Questioning the Orthodoxy, edited by Elisa Aaltola ... more

Animal Rights Advocacy and Legitimate Public Deliberation

Political Studies, 2015

I argue (1) that Humphrey and Stears', and D'Arcy's , arguments in favour of direct action animal... more

Liberty and valuing sentient life

Ethics and the Environment, 2013

I argue that there is a meaningful sense in which a sentient animal can be understood as having a... more I argue that there is a meaningful sense in which a sentient animal can be understood as having an intrinsic interest in liberty. To confine animals is at odds with a 'default picture' of them as free roaming or, at least, unrestrained. People give expression to the feelings of incongruity that arise when they see animals confined by using terms such as 'respect', 'dignity' and 'intrinsic interest'. The use of such terms can be understood in line with expressivism.