More than a half-century ago, noted science fiction author Isaac Asimov began his acclaimed series of Robot novels, examining increasingly complex interactions between humans and robots in a future world. Asimov’s underlying premise for the books was that robots had advanced sufficiently to become sentient beings. Questions raised by this development include whether robots should be granted legal rights, and if so, what those rights should be.

Less fanciful, but no less complicated, is the current national debate about animal rights, the resolution of which could result in a comprehensive restructuring of the legal relationship between humans and animals. The controversy is centered on the question of whether humans should be allowed to own animals as property, or whether humans should be legally defined as guardians of the animals in their care.

There are no easy answers to the question, and the intuitive response might lead to unintended consequences