The University Center for Human Values Series: The Lives of Animals

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In her later years, novelist Elizabeth Costello becomes consumed by the idea of human cruelty to animals, leading her to avoid eye contact with others. To her, meat-eating humans are complicit in a vast crime occurring in farms, slaughterhouses, and laboratories worldwide. Her son, a physics professor, admires her literary work but fears her animal rights lectures at his college. His colleagues challenge her views on the value of life beyond human reasoning, while his wife criticizes her vegetarianism as moral superiority. During a dinner following her first lecture, guests express a mix of sympathy and skepticism regarding animal rights, engaging in discussions that span philosophical, anthropological, and religious perspectives. For her son, Costello's demeanor is both offensive and oddly resonant. J. M. Coetzee uses fiction to delve into the complexities of animal rights, capturing Costello's sense of mortality and her alienation from humans, including her family. Presented as a Tanner Lecture at Princeton University, the narrative reflects the emotional weight of discussing contentious issues in an academic setting. The text features an introduction by political philosopher Amy Gutmann and responses from various scholars, including Wendy Doniger, Barbara Smuts, Marjorie Garber, and Peter Singer. Together, the lecture-fable and essays examine the profound social implications of moral conflict and confrontation.