Contributions Political Animals and Animal Politics

for purposes of contribution, wissenburg takes many standard contentions in animal ethics granted. however, challenges mainstream animal ethicists tendency adopt language of liberalism, suggests misconstrues nonhuman animals individuals , posits false dichotomies status. adoption of liberal ideas can come in tom regan s old form or donaldson , kymlicka s new form. wissenburg challenges donaldson , kymlicka s extension of citizenship nonhuman animals, , instead sketches outline of alternative proposal pays attention individual animals modes of being. labels, paraphrasing robert nozick, liberalism humans , feudalism animals .

public reason , animal rights , chad flanders

flanders argues nonhuman animals below politics, in not have politically considerable interests, or above politics, in have rights trump political decision-making processes. flanders argues if animals excluded basic justice, john rawls held, can defended on metaphysical grounds (what rawls refers on basis of comprehensive doctrines, opposed public reasons must used arguments in political realm). potentially liberating animal advocates. nonetheless, flanders argues, animal issues may matters of basic justice insofar affect humans or animals have rights. alternatively, wrongness of animal cruelty may fixed point in our political reasoning. flanders concludes rawlsianism provides starting point inclusion of animals in political decision-making.

articulating ecological injustices of recognition , christie smith

smith argues val plumwood incorrect declare resituation of animals ethical terms supererogatory opposed necessary resituation of humans ecological terms, 2 tasks linked. smith rejects culture/nature dichotomy, , suggests politics of recognition appropriate way think relationships. draws upon feminist , ecofeminist literature conceive of recognition theory beyond intersubjective self/other relations, allowing recognition beyond human self, concept challenges. smith seeks show recognition theories should not considered soft or naive accounts of justice, , instead offer appropriate mode thinking ecological , animal injustices.

ecological justice anthropocene , david schlosberg

schlosberg s contribution, is, in many ways, response challenges made defining environmental justice (2007). schlosberg aims step beyond previous accounts of animal rights or environmentalism requirements of justice deploying mixed capabilities/deliberation approach applicable both ecosystems , nonhuman animals. schlosberg challenges criticisms of capabilities approach (specifically, capabilities approach moves beyond humans) grounded in existence of conflicts of capabilities, claiming form of deliberative democracy can overcome problem posed these conflicts. mixed account, claims, provides form of justice appropriate thinking human , nonhuman individuals , collectives in anthropocene.

animal deliberation , clemens driessen

driessen explores ways in nonhuman animals might understood engaging in political deliberation. claim empirical rather normative, presents nonhuman animals being in political dialogue humans; rather arguing rights should extended animals, calls recognition of how interactions animals have been political. particularly noticeable, argues, when humans involved in development of new technologies, analysing example (following bruno latour) of gaston lagaffe building door in dialogue boss , office cat, , of farmers , cows using milking robots. argues recognition of animal deliberation can lead more thoughtful forms of both environmentalism , democracy.

animal party politics in parliament , simon otjes

otjes s approach more empirical of many contributors political animals , animal politics. examines dutch party animals (pvdd), which, in 2006, won 2 seats in house of representatives. otjes explores whether pvdd s presence has changed amount of time more established parties spent on animal issues examining both parliamentary speeches , motions before , after introduction of pvdd members. finds established parties began talk more animal issues in 2006, , attributed conflict between pvdd , established parties. though otjes allows study s relevance may seem limited, concludes smaller parties can affect government agenda remaining focused on own primary concern.

limits of species advocacy , kurtis boyer

boyer observes distinction between how nonhuman animals can receive political protection individuals , species. argues latter form of protection motivated desire preserve human experience of species rather experiences of nonhuman animals themselves. politically motivated species advocacy, boyer argues, highly anthropocentric, advocates present these animals sharing in particular revered virtues; result, likes of habitat , genetic health focus of advocates, rather nonhuman animals themselves. using example of polar bear preservation, boyer illustrates how species advocacy becomes tied broader political goals concerning humans , competing visions of value of animals. concludes advancement of species advocacy can limit achievement of animal welfare/rights goals.

slaughter , animal welfarism in sweden 1900–1944 , per-anders svärd

svärd, taking more empirical approach many other contributors, explores laws surrounding animal welfare in 20th century sweden. seeks offer empirical grounding argument animal welfarism problematic animals, entrenching harmful use , speciesism. analyses official documentation riksdag 1900–1944 on subject of animal slaughter , welfare drawing upon foucauldian policy analysis , poststructuralist discourse analysis. conceives of debates political problematisation in (drawing upon lacanian psychoanalysis) animal cruelty blamed on other groups (such jews , sami). argues animal welfarism not natural continuation of old anti-cruelty discourse, sweden s 1937 regulation of slaughter , 1944 animal protection laws served reconstitute, reaffirm , expand speciesist relations, paving way animal exploitation s expansion.

rights of nature: theory , practice , mihnea tanasescu

tanasescu explores idea of rights nature, idea which, though unorthodox, has seen success in implementation. first introduces concept, focus on differences between moral , legal rights, before examining particular case of ecuador s entrenchment of rights nature in 2008 constitution, compared other real-world cases. addresses can learnt these theoretical , practical considerations. concludes work on topic left done, key lesson learnt significance of innovation; environmental politics, claims, should remain both inventive , optimistic.