Animal Minds and Human Morals: The Origins of the Western Debate (Cornell Studies in Classical Philology-Townsend Lectures , No 54) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I was led from an early age to reflect on the roles we conventionally assign to animals by a family story concerning my aunt, Cornelia..." (more)
Key Phrases: Porphyry Abstinence, Diogenes Laertius Lives, Plutarch Sollertia (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Philosopher Sorabji, Professor of Ancient Philosophy at King's College, University of London, skillfully explores the debate in Western thought over the moral status of animals. Beginning with its roots in the arguments presented by Aristotle and the Stoics, the central argument concerns whether or not animals have the requisite "rationality" to be treated as equals or near-equals, with most sides arguing that they do not. "Rationality" usually being defined by these philosophers as the ability to speak, the Western view has been that animals "don't have syntax, so we can eat them." Still, these philosophers are forced to negotiate many mental twists and turns to make their theories fit their own conflicting perceptions of what animals are and aren't capable of knowing and doing. Medieval Christian beliefs on the subject are also discussed, and a thoughtful critique on the more contemporary belief systems of animal rights proponents Singer, Reagan, and Midgley is presented. Recommended for anyone concerned with or interested in the origins of today's animal rights debate. Brian McCombie --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

"[Sorabji] starts . . . by examining philosophical treatments of animals in ancient Greece. From there he goes on to current thinking and argues that the animal rights movement is philosophically incoherent. His philosophical analysis is so thorough that anyone who's thinking about these issues has an obligation to read this book."--Vicki Hearne, Lingua Franca

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press (November 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801482984
• ISBN-13: 978-0801482984
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #680,320 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating relfections on animal cognition, June 4, 2000

By	Andrew N. Carpenter "philosopher" (Westminster, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Can animal behavior be explained without attributing to them reason or belief? In the first part of this book, Sorabji investigates this question. Since animal behavior is explained by appeal to notions like perception, memory, intention, learning, and emotion, the "no reason or belief" thesis is plausible only if those concepts can be explained without recourse to either reason or belief. Sorabji investigates this with close reference to Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and many other philosophers of antiquity.

In the second part of the book, Sorabji examines the significance of the animal minds debate. He argues that Aristotle's denial of reason and belief to animals has a long and sad legacy that deeply affects humans' relations to animals in Western Culture. Sorabji concludes that a proper account of human minds would motivate new moral judgments.

Sorabji's mastery of the classical literature is truly impressive, and he forges many interesting connections to Donald Davidson's famous denial of animal thought and to many other contemporary debates in the philosophy of mind.