Brute souls, happy beasts, and evolution : the historical status of animals / Rod Preece.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Preece, Rod, 1939-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Animal welfare--History.

Animal welfare.

Animal welfare--Moral and ethical aspects--History.

Animal welfare--Philosophy--History.

Animals and civilization--History.

Animals and civilization.

Human-animal relationships.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (496 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Vancouver : UBC Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In this provocative inquiry into the status of animals in human society from the fifth century BC to the present, Rod Preece provides a wholly new perspective on the human-animal relationship. He skillfully demonstrates that, counter to prevailing intellectual opinion, ethical attitudes toward animals are neither restricted to the twentieth century nor the result of Darwin's theory of evolution. They have been part of Western thought and culture for centuries. With his usual eloquence, Preece builds a cogent and persuasive argument, challenging current assumptions about the historical status of animals in Western civilization. He dispels the notion that animals were denied ethical consideration by Christian doctrine, refutes the claim that the Cartesian conception of animals as automata was widely embraced, and proves that "theriophily" -- the notion of animal superiority over humans -- was given greater credence than is commonly recognized. The exhaustive research and breadth of knowledge that Preece reveals in this book are matched by his belief in our ethical responsibilities to animals. Brute Souls, Happy Beasts, and Evolution will be required reading for those from animal scientists to animal philosophers to animal rights activists who have an interest in the history and philosophy of animal ethics.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

In Quest of the Soul

Peripatetic Souls

A Natural History of Animal Souls

Return to Nature

Theriophily Redivivus

Symbiosis

Evolution, Chain, and Categorical Imperative

Kinship and Evolution

The Moral Status of Animals

Notes

Select Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references: p. 453-469.

ISBN:

0-7748-5155-4

OCLC:

180772861