Search results for ""Author Rod Preece""
University of British Columbia Press Animal Sensibility and Inclusive Justice in the Age of Bernard Shaw
In the late nineteenth century, a number of prominent reformers wereinfluenced by what Edward Carpenter called “the largersocialism,” a philosophy that promised to completely transformsociety, including the place of animals within it. To open a window on late Victorian ideas about animals, Rod Preeceexplores what he calls radical idealism and animal sensibility in thework of George Bernard Shaw, the acknowledged prophet of modernism andconscience of his age. Preece examines Shaw’s reformist thought-- particularly the notion of inclusive justice, which aimed toeliminate the suffering of both humans and animals -- in relation tothat of fellow reformers such as Edward Carpenter, Annie Besant, andHenry Salt and the Humanitarian League. This fascinating account of the characters and crusades that shapedShaw’s philosophy sheds new light not only on modernist thoughtbut also on an overlooked aspect of the history of the animal rightsmovement.
£84.60
University of British Columbia Press Brute Souls, Happy Beasts, and Evolution: The Historical Status of Animals
In this provocative inquiry into the status of animals in human society from the fifth century BC to the present, Rod Preece provides a wholly new perspective on the human-animal relationship. He skillfully demonstrates that, counter to prevailing intellectual opinion, ethical attitudes toward animals are neither restricted to the twentieth century nor the result of Darwin’s theory of evolution. They have been part of Western thought and culture for centuries.With his usual eloquence, Preece builds a cogent and persuasive argument, challenging current assumptions about the historical status of animals in Western civilization. He dispels the notion that animals were denied ethical consideration by Christian doctrine, refutes the claim that the Cartesian conception of animals as automata was widely embraced, and proves that "theriophily" -- the notion of animal superiority over humans -- was given greater credence than is commonly recognized. The exhaustive research and breadth of knowledge that Preece reveals in this book are matched by his belief in our ethical responsibilities to animals.Brute Souls, Happy Beasts, and Evolution will be required reading for those from animal scientists to animal philosophers to animal rights activists who have an interest in the history and philosophy of animal ethics.
£30.60
University of British Columbia Press Animals and Nature: Cultural Myths, Cultural Realities
“No one tradition alone offers a sufficient respect for other species. Taken together, they may offer a prospect for saner human-animal relations.” – From the bookWestern conceptions of objectivity and individuality have resulted in a readier appreciation of the worth of the animals and nature than has been recognized. This provocative book takes issue with the popular view that the Western cultural tradition, in contrast to Eastern and Aboriginal traditions, has encouraged attitudes of domination and exploitation towards nature, particularly animals.Preece argues that the Western tradition has much to commend it, and that descriptions of Aboriginal and Oriental orientations have often been misleadingly rosy, simplified and codified according to current fashionable concepts.Animals and Nature is the result of six years’ intensive study into comparative religion, literature, philosophy, anthropology, mythology and animal welfare science.
£84.60
