This Element provides a novel framework for understanding the nature of violence against animals. The author argues that the search for human uniqueness (an 'anthropological difference') is at the heart of this violence and should be replaced by a way of life based on the notion of human and animals being indistinct.
Prefaced with a brief introduction to the field of animal studies, the text explores the key influential terms, topics and debates which have had a major impact on the field, and that students are most likely to encounter in their animal studies classes.
From factory farming to invasive experimentation to the use of animals in the entertainment industry, human interactions with animals frequently involve unjustifiable forms of exploitation, violence, and death. Activists have put significant effort into limiting or abolishing such problematic forms of human-animal interactions. For philosopher Matthew Calarco, this critical focus on restrictions, while vitally important, does not go far enough in reforming our relationships with animals. Instead, we need to interrogate the values that structure our lives as a whole to ask: What might a good life in common with animals look like. The Three Ethologies articulates positive ideals of human interactions with animals and offers an affirmative approach to constructing human-animal relations anew. Calarco develops three distinct but interrelated ethological lenses to this end: 1 ethos as individual character-the self; 2 ethos as shared practices and relations-the social; and 3 ethos as the typical dwelling places of animals and human beings-the environment. This three-pronged framework leads us to an inspiring vision of how ethological living can help us to reimagine philosophical ideals of goodness, truth, and beauty
Matthew Calarco explores key issues in the philosophy of animals and their significance for our contemporary world. The Boundaries of Human Nature shows readers why philosophy can help transform not just the way we think about animals but also how we interact with them.
Focusing on Robinson Jeffers, the book explores his significant contributions to contemporary discussions surrounding "the human" and the emergence of an inhumanist philosophy. It delves into Jeffers' poetic work, examining how his perspectives challenge traditional notions of humanity and provoke thought on the relationship between humans and the natural world. Through this analysis, the book highlights the relevance of Jeffers' ideas in modern philosophical debates.
Altermobilities
Focusing on the often-overlooked issue of roadkill, this book explores its broader social, ethical, and political implications. It highlights the neglect of roadkill in scholarly discussions, particularly in mobility and animal studies. By examining roadkill, the author seeks to reveal the hidden violence of human-centered mobility systems and advocate for alternative modes of transportation that foster a more inclusive coexistence with non-human beings. The work aims to reposition roadkill as a critical lens through which to analyze and challenge prevailing social structures.
Challenges the anthropocentrism of the continental philosophical tradition and advances the position that, although some distinctions are valid, humans and animals are best viewed as part of an ontological whole. This book draws on ethological and evolutionary evidence and the work of Heidegger; Luc Ferry and Jurgen Habermas; and, Levinas.