Animalkind: What We Owe to Animals (Blackwell Public Philosophy (Unnumbered Hardcover))

By exploring the ethical differences between humans and animals, Animalkind establishes a middle ground between egalitarianism and outright dismissal of animal rights.: A thought-provoking foray into our complex and contradictory relationship with animals; Advocates that we owe each animal due respect; Offers readers a sensible alternative to extremism by speaking of respect and compassion for animals, not rights; Balances philosophical analysis with intriguing facts and engaging tales

Animal lovers in today's world are, a curious breed. Many dote on their dogs and cats, demand equal rights for horses and apes - and then happily devour pigs and chickens. So how are we truly supposed to think of and treat animals? Animalkind: What We Owe to Animals explores the crucial ethical differences between humans and animals. Occupying the middle ground between extreme egalitarianism and outright dismissal, the book instead advocates a position of respect for animals, treatment not afforded to the current inhabitants of factory farms and animal labs.

Starting from the beginning, when animal were first used as resources, Kazez takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of animal exploitation. After illustrating how the relatively benign exploitation of animals became malignant, she reveals the startling fact that livestock and feedcrops now occupy a full third of the earth's land surface. With so many animals at our mercy - and the environment hanging in the balance - there is more reason than ever to take a fresh look at our complex and contradictory relationship with animals.

While providing a serious philosophical discussion of a sensitive issue, the book also covers lighter topics, from Descartes's dinner menu to Montezuma's albino zoo and the author's personal dietary struggles. Animalkind ultimately urges us to revere all forms of life, the human kind as well as the animal kind, while respecting important differences.

"In Animalkind: What We Owe to Animals Jean Kazez argues for a drastic reduction in our consumption of animal products. Though certainly not an abolitionist, Kazez argues we owe all animals a "respect" which, though its exact boundaries are "fuzzy", is clearly incompatible with our current treatment of them. Kazez's writing style is at both accessible and engaging but what is most impressive is the book's breadth, as it moves elegantly through history, theology, anthropology, neuroscience and philosophy. Both the book's limited conclusion and Kazez's refusal to reduce her position to a set of simple moral prohibitions may frustrate some vegans. Vegans are, however, not Kazez's intended audience. Instead this book is addressed to omnivores who, after decades of consuming a large number of animal products, are open to considering whether their life choices are consistent with their moral commitments. Kazez's style is perfectly suited to this task, with the charming honesty of her brief autobiographical interludes (despite considerable changes to her lifestyle, Kazez is not yet vegan) making it clear that this is not the saint preaching to the sinners. If you are already a committed vegan, then this may not be the book for you but it is the perfect present for your omnivorous friends and family."--Http://flmsdown.net/ebooks/281270-animalkind-what-we-owe-to-animals.html (Feb. 28, 2011) Animalkind......Page 6 Contents......Page 10 Introduction: Wondering in Alaska......Page 12 Part I Before......Page 18 1 The Myth of Consent......Page 20 2 The Order of Things......Page 30 Part II The Nature of the Beast......Page 46 3 Animal Consciousness......Page 48 4 Dumb Brutes?......Page 65 Part III All Due Respect......Page 88 5 The Lives of Animals......Page 90 6 Caveman Ethics......Page 111 Part IV Moral Disorders......Page 128 7 Going, Going, Wrong......Page 130 8 Science and Survival......Page 147 Part V Next......Page 168 9 Vanishing Animals......Page 170 10 The Endless Story......Page 183 Annotated Sources......Page 195 Acknowledgments......Page 210 Index......Page 211