The Animals' Agenda: Freedom, Compassion, And Coexistence In The Human Age
by Marc Bekoff /
2017 / English / EPUB
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A compelling argument that the time has come to use what we know
about the fascinating and diverse inner lives of other animals on
their behalf
A compelling argument that the time has come to use what we know
about the fascinating and diverse inner lives of other animals on
their behalf
Every day we are learning new and surprising facts about just how
intelligent and emotional animals are—did you know rats like to
play and laugh, and also display empathy, and the ears and noses of
cows tell us how they’re feeling? At times, we humans translate
that knowledge into compassion for other animals; think of the
public outcry against the fates of Cecil the lion or the captive
gorilla Harambe. But on the whole, our growing understanding of
what animals feel is not resulting in more respectful treatment of
them.
Every day we are learning new and surprising facts about just how
intelligent and emotional animals are—did you know rats like to
play and laugh, and also display empathy, and the ears and noses of
cows tell us how they’re feeling? At times, we humans translate
that knowledge into compassion for other animals; think of the
public outcry against the fates of Cecil the lion or the captive
gorilla Harambe. But on the whole, our growing understanding of
what animals feel is not resulting in more respectful treatment of
them.
Renowned animal-behavior expert Marc Bekoff and leading bioethicist
Jessica Pierce explore the real-world experiences of five
categories of animals, beginning with those who suffer the greatest
deprivations of freedoms and choice—chickens, pigs, and cows in
industrial food systems—as well as animals used in testing and
research, including mice, rats, cats, dogs, and chimpanzees. Next,
Bekoff and Pierce consider animals for whom losses of freedoms are
more ambiguous and controversial, namely, individuals held in zoos
and aquaria and those kept as companions. Finally, they reveal the
unexpected ways in which the freedoms of animals in the wild are
constrained by human activities and argue for a more compassionate
approach to conservation.
Renowned animal-behavior expert Marc Bekoff and leading bioethicist
Jessica Pierce explore the real-world experiences of five
categories of animals, beginning with those who suffer the greatest
deprivations of freedoms and choice—chickens, pigs, and cows in
industrial food systems—as well as animals used in testing and
research, including mice, rats, cats, dogs, and chimpanzees. Next,
Bekoff and Pierce consider animals for whom losses of freedoms are
more ambiguous and controversial, namely, individuals held in zoos
and aquaria and those kept as companions. Finally, they reveal the
unexpected ways in which the freedoms of animals in the wild are
constrained by human activities and argue for a more compassionate
approach to conservation.
In each case, scientific studies combine with stories of individual
animals to bring readers face-to-face with the wonder of our fellow
beings, as well as the suffering they endure and the major paradigm
shift that is needed to truly ensure their well-being.
In each case, scientific studies combine with stories of individual
animals to bring readers face-to-face with the wonder of our fellow
beings, as well as the suffering they endure and the major paradigm
shift that is needed to truly ensure their well-being.The Animals’ Agenda
The Animals’ Agenda will educate and inspire people to
rethink how we affect other animals, and how we can evolve toward
more peaceful and less violent ways of interacting with our animal
kin in an increasingly human-dominated world.
will educate and inspire people to
rethink how we affect other animals, and how we can evolve toward
more peaceful and less violent ways of interacting with our animal
kin in an increasingly human-dominated world.