ABSTRACT
Theories of animal well-being can be classified as subjective or objective. Subjective theories hold that states of affairs benefit animals because of some positive subjective attitude or attitudes that animals hold toward them (or might hold toward them under certain conditions). In contrast, objective theories hold that states of affairs benefit animals for reasons that are independent of the subjective attitudes that animals hold toward them (or might hold toward them under certain conditions). There can also be hybrid theories that combine both subjective and objective elements. In the next two sections, I will examine some subjective and objective theories of animal well-being.1 Then, I will discuss some strategies for resolving-or at least understanding-the disagreement between proponents of these two approaches.
