Animals and the Human Imagination: A Companion to Animal Studies

by Aaron Gross (Editor), Jonathan Safran Foer (Foreword), Wendy Doniger (Afterword)

Human beings have long imagined their subjectivity, ethics, and ancestry with and through animals, yet not until the mid-twentieth century did contemporary thought reflect critically on animals' significance in human self-conception. Thinkers such as French philosopher Jacques Derrida, South African novelist J. M. Coetzee, and American theorist Donna Haraway have initiated rigorous inquiries into the question of the animal, now blossoming in a number of directions. It is no longer strange to say that if animals did not exist, we would have to invent them.

This interdisciplinary and cross-cultural collection reflects the growth of animal studies as an independent field and the rise of "animality" as a critical lens through which to analyze society and culture, on a par with race and gender. Essays consider the role of animals in the human imagination and the imagination of the human; the worldviews of indigenous peoples; animal-human mythology in early modern China; and political uses of the animal in postcolonial India. They engage with the theoretical underpinnings of the animal protection movement, representations of animals in children's literature, depictions of animals in contemporary art, and the philosophical positioning of the animal from Aristotle to Derrida. The strength of this companion lies in its timeliness and contextual diversity, which makes it essential reading for students and researchers while further developing the parameters of the discipline.

392 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Aaron Gross is Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at University of San Diego, USA, and CEO of Farm Forward.

Also writes as Aaron S. Gross.

Reviews

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interested in putting a toe into animal studies? This collection covers a wide range of topics, written by experts in the field, yet very readable to the lay person. Not for the faint at heart at times, but well worth the honesty to understand our disregard of animal lives.