Animal Rites: American Culture, the Discourse of Species, and Posthumanist Theory

by Cary Wolfe

In Animal Rites , Cary Wolfe examines contemporary notions of humanism and ethics by reconstructing a little known but crucial underground tradition of theorizing the animal from Wittgenstein, Cavell, and Lyotard to Lévinas, Derrida, Žižek, Maturana, and Varela. Through detailed readings of how discourses of race, sexuality, colonialism, and animality interact in twentieth-century American culture, Wolfe explores what it means, in theory and critical practice, to take seriously "the question of the animal."

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Theory, Criticism, Animals, Academic

252 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2003

Reviews

[Molly Labenski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably would have been 5 stars but he used “Toni Morrison” and “fails” in the same sentence, which just isn’t acceptable.

[Brigi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Brief summary in the form of a gif about my impressions:



The only useful things for my thesis was the introduction. I have no freaking idea what this book is about. WHY THE FRICK ARE THEORY BOOKS WRITTEN IN SUCH A COMPLICATED WAY?!

[Rinin · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 Words:
Psychoanalysis
cultural
boundaries
(post)modern

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of those books that I will re-read periodically, as my own experience and philosophical reference grows. Wolfe synthesizes philosophy, activism, and cross-disciplinary studies (biology, systems theory) to open up larger conversations about speciesism, but without getting trapped by the ethical dilemmas of animal rights while we still lack a complete understanding (let alone the practice) of human rights. He uses classical philosophical readings, and pairs them with literature, cinema, and additional studies outside the humanities to reveal the importance of simply trying to think through these complicated questions. I was surprised to see not one, but two Hemingway selections (might be more - but not many) that open up discussions instead of automatically assuming H's position as a big-game hunter.

This makes me want to read ALL his books!