Animals and Misanthropy

This engaging volume explores the claim that misanthropy is a justified attitude towards humankind in the light of how human beings both compare with and treat animals. Drawing on both Eastern and Western philosophical traditions David Cooper offers a unique insight into the complex field of animal ethics.

Autorentext

David E. Cooper is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Durham University, UK. He has been a Visiting Professor at universities in several countries, including the USA and Sri Lanka. His many books include The Measure of Things: Humanism, Humility and Mystery, A Philosophy of Gardens, Convergence with Nature: A Daoist Perspective, *and *Senses of Mystery: Engaging with Nature and the Meaning of Life.

Klappentext

This engaging volume explores and defends the claim that misanthropy is a justified attitude towards humankind in the light of how human beings both compare with and treat animals. Reflection on differences between humans and animals helps to confirm the misanthropic verdict, while reflection on the moral and other failings manifest in our treatment of animals illuminates what is wrong with this treatment. Human failings, it is argued, are too entrenched to permit optimism about the future of animals, but ways are proposed in which individual people may accommodate to the truth of misanthropy through cultivating mindful, humble and compassionate relationships to animals. Drawing on both Eastern and Western philosophical traditions David E. Cooper offers an original and challenging approach to the complex field of animal ethics.

Inhalt

Acknowledgements

1 Misanthropy

*Prologue

Feelings and judgements

Human beings, humankind, human nature*

2 Introducing Animals

*A false start

Two kinds of reflection

A lesson from David Hume

Human animals?

Which animals?

• 3 Human and Animal Lives

*Differences

Affinities

Scepticism, theory and life

• 4 Human Failings

*Reminders

A charge list

Ubiquity and entrenchment

• 5 Animal Vices and Virtues

*Animal vices?

Human virtues

Animal virtues

Coda: beauty and virtue

• 6 Treatment of Animals

*'Brutality to "brutes"'

Another charge list

Animal suffering and human failings

Conclusion

• 7 'A Fundamental Debacle'

*Agriculture, hubris, technology

A 'true moral test'

'An eternal Treblinka'?*

8 Responding to Misanthropy

*Optimism

Radicalism

Quietism*

9 Being with Animals

*Rationality

Attunement

Virtues, emulation and mystery

• Index