animals
TagPhilosophers and Their Pets
In the United States it is National Pet Day, an unofficial holiday created in 2006 to “celebrate the joy pets can bring to us,” and an unofficial reason for us to talk about philosophers and their pets and philosophy regarding pets, and—why not?—to share photos of our pets. (more…)
Wild Animal Welfare Program Launches at NYU
New York University has launched a new interdisciplinary program to support, coordinate, and disseminate research about the well-being of wild animals. (more…)
Over 450 Academics Sign Statement Opposing Animal Exploitation
Over 450 academics, many of whom work in moral and political philosophy, have signed onto the “Montreal Declaration on Animal Exploitation.” (more…)
Of Philosophy and Dogs
Apparently today is International Dog Day. This means we have an excuse to talk about dogs. (more…)
How Do Moral Philosophy Courses Affect Student Behavior?
Do college philosophy courses in ethics affect the real-world choices of the students who take them? A trio of philosophers recently took up this question and have just published their results. (more…)
Moral Philosophy Courses Can Change Students’ Behavior
The share of meal plan expenditures on meat by students who took part in a philosophy class on the ethics of eating animals declined from 52% to 45%, with “no evidence that meat-eating rates went back up during the two months data was monitored,” according to a recent study whose authors believe it provides evidence for the claim that “ethics classes can influence s..
Resurrecting Brains: Philosophical Questions and New Ethical Territory (guest post)
A team of scientists led by Nenad Sestan (Yale) have “restored circulation to the brains of decapitated pigs and kept the reanimated organs alive for as long as 36 hours,” reports MIT Technology Review. The method used to keep pigs’ brains alive outside the body will work on other animals, including primates, Sestan said. The following is a guest post* by Carolyn Di..
Philosophers Help Fight for Chimpanzee Personhood
Seventeen philosophers co-authored and submitted to the New York Court of Appeals an amicus curiae brief in support of legal personhood for a pair of chimpanzees. (more…)
Results of Philosophers Against Factory Farming Fundraising Competition
The Philosophers Against Factory Farming fundraising competition, announced earlier this month, ended last night. One of the organizers, Carolina Flores Henrique, passed along the results. (more…)
Philosophers Against Factory Farming – A Fundraiser Competition
Last year, a group of graduate students at Rutgers set up a fundraising competition for philosophy departments to support the Against Malaria Foundation. It raised nearly $60,000. This year, the same group of students has set up a new fundraising competition, Philosophers Against Factory Farming. (more…)
Did This Monkey Intentionally Take A Selfie?
Some monkey business is raising questions in philosophy of action, philosophy of language, legal theory, and animal ethics.
British photographer David Slater traveled to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, came across some macaque monkeys, and set up a camera with a tripod. One of the monkeys, Naruto, reportedly pressed the button on the camera, with the result be..
Recent Work on Animals by Philosophers and Others
Today’s Omnivore Blog features links to recent work on the treatment of animals, including pieces by philosophers Nathan Nobis (Morehouse), Daniel Hooley (Toronto), Ian Werkheiser (Michigan State), Jonathan Anomaly (UNC & Duke), William Edmundson (Georgia State), and Brian Berkey (Stanford).
A Philosophical Look at Zoos
Lori Gruen (Wesleyan University) has a post at OUPblog in which she makes use of the recent giraffe and lion killings at the Copenhagen Zoo as a launching point for some brief reflections on the ethics of zoos.