Animals, Ethics, and Language

With an ever-growing body of evidence on the links between different oppressions, never have the debates in Critical Animal Studies surrounding intersectionality in relation to animal ethics been more important. In particular, the arguments related to anthropomorphic attributes of mentality to other than humans promise to provide fruitful new ground for re-assessing human-animal relations. This book maps the central debates surrounding anthropomorphism in relation to our descriptions of animals, their lives, animal mentality, and meaningful communication in the nonhuman world. Rebekah Humphreys synthesizes the work of critical animal theorists, philosophers, and cognitive ethologists, and provides a critical account of how the debates concerning anthropomorphism play a key role in a proper understanding of animal ethics.

Applies the findings of cognitive ethology to animal ethics Synthesizes the work of critical animal theorists, philosophers, and cognitive ethologists Explores how the debates concerning anthropomorphism play a key role in understanding of animal ethics

Autorentext

Rebekah Humphreys is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Wales Trinity St David, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research areas include critical animal studies and applied ethics (particularly environmental ethics, animal ethics). Her current research includes issues of justice, equality, desensitisation, compartmentalisation, and dignity in relation to animal ethics, ethology, and environmental ethics. Rebekah's approach overlaps considerably with ethology and psychology. She is especially interested in areas of research where intersections (between science and philosophy, for example) are evident and where interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches can drive progress in addressing key issues related to justice, climate ethics, the environment, and human-animal interactions. Rebekah is also author of Animal Studies and Philosophy (2026), as well as a range of peer-reviewed articles in animal ethics.

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Anthropomorphism and Animal Ethics.- 2. Anthropomorphous Animals and Philosophy.- 3. Moral Standing and Human Exceptionalism.- 4. Critical Anthropomorphism.- 5. Language and 'Moral Anthropomorphism'.- 6. Going Home: Returning from Posthumanism via a Defence of Identity as Continuity.- 7. The Application of Key Concepts.