The Political Animal: The Conquest of Speciesism [Hardcover]

Richard D. Ryder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1998

This book is about one of the most extraordinary phenomena of our times, one which raises fundamental questions about the nature of altruism, about the character of humankind, about a new political agenda and about the relationship of humans with the rest of nature. This phenomenon is the attention paid to the welfare of nonhuman animals and their rights or interests. In the century since Darwin, humankind have clung to the notion that they are entirely different from and morally superior to all other species. This modern idea is in sharp contrast to ancient times when, the evidence shows, early humans respected animals and early religions saw them as divine manifestations. The relationship of humankind to other species is the focus of this work. An historical overview is first presented, crossing many cultures and eras. The ethics of animal exploitation and "pain-ism" are next covered, followed by an exploration of the science of animal welfare. How the political debate over animal welfare has developed and its potential for changing politicians' attitudes and behavior are the subjects of the concluding chapter.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Ryder, described as "the Moses of the Animal Welfare Movement" by Lord Houghton Sowerby and as "the stormy Petrel of the RSPCA" by VS Pritchett, studied animal behavior at Cambridge University and Columbia before practicing for many years as a clinical psychologist. He became a key figure in the animal rights revival of the 1970s, and as chairman of the RSPCA (1977-79) was instrumental in the organization's reform. Ryder who coined the term "speciesism" in 1970, is the director of animal welfare studies for the International Fund for Animal Welfare. He lives in Devon, England.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 147 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786405309
• ISBN-13: 978-0786405305
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,152,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An insightful book on animal rights (AR) by a pioneer of AR, January 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Political Animal: The Conquest of Speciesism (Hardcover)

The author Richard Ryder is well known in animal protection circles as a successful campaigner politically and as the creator of the notion of "speciesism", a term he introduced to describe the universal oppression of the other animals by the human species. The Political Animal is his latest book and is an overview of the history of the human-nonhuman relationship, its ethics, the science of animal welfare and the political campaign.

Ryder, as a pioneer of the modern animal rights movement, is in an almost unique position in being able to write about all its aspects, European as well as American, scientific, political as well as philosophical. He is an activist in all these arenas. In the book, he describes how he stimulated the scientific study of animals, achieved direct contacts with influential politicians and revealed forgotten aspects of the history of the animal reform movement. Wearing his philosophical hat he proposes a moral code that is applicable not only in human to animal relationships, but also in human to human interactions. Briefly, he contends that we have a moral duty to relieve the pain and distress of others, regardless of their race, sex or species, with priority being given to the individual who is suffering most (i.e. the "painient"). He calls his position "painism".

This is a short, concise and insightful book on various important aspects of the subject of animal rights and protection - an issue that is likely to be far more conspicuous in the politics of the new millennium.