- Paperback: 364 pages
- Publisher: Columbia University Press (Sep 1 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0231147279
- ISBN-13: 978-0231147279
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.5 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 522 g
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#120,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4 in Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Movements > Structuralism
- #26 in Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Movements > Deconstruction
- #54 in Books > Outdoors & Nature > Ecology > Animal Rights
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
A valuable resource within continental philosophy and animal studies. -- Brett Buchanan Environmental Philosophy Vol 7, No 1 Oliver has made a convincing argument that the animal/human divide is much more complex than a simple dichotomy, and that our relationship with animals should be based on commonality, rather than what divides us. -- Anthony J. Dellureficio Quarterly Review of Biology Vol 86, No 2 There is, indeed, a philosophical counter-tradition dawning in the contemporary posthuman zeitgeist, and Oliver's book clears the decks in preparation for a new enlightenment. -- Randy Malamud Journal of Animal Ethics Vol 1, No 2, 2011
Book Description
Philosophy reads humanity against animality, arguing that "man" is man because he is separate from beast. Deftly challenging this position, Kelly Oliver proves that, in fact, it is the animal that teaches us to be human. Through their sex, their habits, and our perception of their purpose, animals show us how not to be them. This kinship plays out in a number of ways. We sacrifice animals to establish human kinship, but without the animal, the bonds of "brotherhood" fall apart. Either kinship with animals is possible or kinship with humans is impossible. Philosophy holds that humans and animals are distinct, but in defending this position, the discipline depends on a discourse that relies on the animal for its very definition of the human. Through these and other examples, Oliver does more than just establish an animal ethics. She transforms ethics by showing how its very origin is dependent upon the animal. Examining for the first time the treatment of the animal in the work of Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, Agamben, Freud, Lacan, and Kristeva, among others, Animal Lessons argues that the animal bites back, thereby reopening the question of the animal for philosophy.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Remarkable work on animal ethics, Dec 1 2009
By A customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Animal Lessons: How They Teach Us to Be Human (Paperback)
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in animal ethics. Like many, I became interested in topics of animal rights and animal ethics after reading Peter Singer's Animal Liberation. Although I agree with Singer that our exploitation of animals is unwarranted, I am not a utilitarian, and I don't think pain/pleasure should be the primary measure for our ethical relationship with other creatures. To me, Kelly Oliver's Animal Lessons is interesting and refreshing because, unlike other books on animal ethics, the author does not rely on the language of "interests," "rights," or "speciesism" in her arguments. (In fact, Part I of the book is devoted to the problems and limitations of the rights discourse. I believe every animal rights activist should read Part I--perhaps it's time to reconsider the rhetoric and strategy of the animal "rights" movement!)I will not rehearse the arguments of the book here. But the main thesis the author is advancing is that animals are our teachers. She demonstrates her thesis by examining the philosophical work of various thinkers (including Rousseau, Freud, Heidegger, Kristeva, and Derrida), and she shows both that animals figure prominently in their work and that, in an important sense, philosophers rely on animals to learn what it means to be human. I think her thesis is instructive to those of us who want to challenge the structure of animal exploitation in our society. Specifically, it's not enough to focus on what "rights" animals have against us humans, as if we could relate to animals only in a competitive way. It is important to see that we are in many ways indebted to the teaching of our animal friends (what the author calls "animal pedagogy"), and if we are willing to acknowledge our animal teachers, we will (hopefully) treat them properly and respectfully--like we would our human teachers.
To me, another important merit of this book is the writing style. The author's writing is eloquent, witty, and engaging. And let's not forget that the author engages with some notoriously challenging philosophical texts! It is impressive that the author makes these intimidating philosophical texts accessible and interesting--Animal Lessons is not just for scholars or academics, but anyone who is willing to learn.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Animal Lover Gets a New View, Jan 25 2010
By Ruthy McG "Music Lover" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Animal Lessons: How They Teach Us to Be Human (Paperback)
I don't know a lot about philosophy, but I am interested in animals and I learned a lot from this book. It made me think about vegetarianism and animal rights in new ways. And, is was funny!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oppression, slavery, and torture are historically inseparable from the question of the animal, Jan 20 2010
By ROROTOKO - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Animal Lessons: How They Teach Us to Be Human (Paperback)
"Animal Lessons" is on the ROROTOKO list of cutting-edge intellectual nonfiction. Professor Oliver's book interview ran here as the cover feature on January 20, 2010.
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