Abstract

This study seeks to examine Piero Martinetti’s contribution to the development of an antispeciesist animal ethics. The first section reconstructs the idealistic and spiritualistic framework of Martinetti’s philosophy. The second section analyzes Martinetti’s works on animal ethics and rights, with a particular focus on The Psyche of Animals. In this text, Martinetti employs scientific and psychological categories to argue for the axiological equivalence of all living beings, thereby advocating for their equal moral and legal standing. However, as the final section underscores, Martinetti recognizes the limitations of purely epistemological arguments and proposes a more robust ethical foundation to justify the respect owed to animals. He suggests that morality must be anchored in more profound factors, such as empathy and tolerance in the face of a shared existential void. This meta-ethical shift reflects an integration of Martinetti’s intellectualist framework with idiographic elements rooted in emotivism.