Chimpanzees are people too, you know. Ok, not exactly. But lawyer Steven Wise has spent the last 30 years working to change these animals' status from "things" to "persons." It's not a matter of legal semantics; as he describes in this fascinating talk, recognizing that animals like chimps have extraordinary cognitive capabilities and rethinking the way we treat them -- legally -- is no less than a moral duty.

Chimps have feelings and thoughts. They should also have rights

The law draws a rigid line between 'things' without rights and 'persons' with legal protections, often ignoring the rich inner lives of animals like chimpanzees. Some chimpanzees are orphans who witnessed their parents' deaths and now live confined in isolation, despite their demonstrated autonomy and self-awareness. Recognizing animals as legal persons could transform how society treats billions of nonhuman creatures. Challenging the legal status quo, advocates have filed habeas corpus cases to push the courts to see these animals as more than invisible property.

Legal Personhood Should Not Be Reserved For Humans Alone