Animal Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction

by Bob Fischer

There are many introductions to the animal ethics literature. There aren't many introductions to the practice of doing animal ethics. Bob Fischer's Animal Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction fills that gap, offering an accessible model of how animal ethics can be done today. The book takes up classic issues, such as the ethics of eating meat and experimenting on animals, but tackles them in an empirically informed and nuanced way. It also covers a range of relatively neglected issues in animal ethics, such as the possibility of insect sentience and the ethics of dealing with pests. Finally, the book doesn't assess every current practice using standard ethical theories, but tries to evaluate some of them using the moral frameworks endorsed by those involved. So, for instance, there is a chapter on the way that animal care and use committees try to justify some of the educational uses of animals, and the chapter on zoos considers the way that international zoological societies justify compromising animal welfare. The book wraps up with a discussion of the future of animal ethics. Each chapter opens with a helpful initial overview of the chapter and ends with a list of suggested readings to help students go further on their own.



Key Features



Covers animal ethics from an empirically informed perspective, bringing philosophy into conversation with key issues in animal science, conservation biology, economics, ethology, and legal studies, among other fields



Provides ample coverage of the most salient current topics, including, for example:



Debates about which animals are sentient



The suffering of wild animals



Research ethics



The boundaries of activism



Avoids suggesting that animal ethics is simply the practice of applying the right general theory to a problem, instead allowing readers to first work out the specific costs and benefits of making ethical decisions



Impresses upon the reader the need for her to work out for herself the best way forward with difficult ethical issues, suggesting that progress can indeed be made



Includes summaries and recommended readings at the end of each chapter

262 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2021

Reviews

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: Bob's a friend of mine, so I'm doubtless a bit biased.

That said, this was a hugely interesting, thought-provoking, at times uncomfortable read. As a professor who has taught his share of introductory philosophy courses, Bob does a great job of making this content seem immediate, relevant, and approachable. His clear language, sense of humor, and warmth all help one stay engaged throughout.

While it becomes quickly apparent that an exhaustive treatment of the content would require four times the page count present in this already-substantial tome, this does a great job of introducing one to the various aspects of animal and human interactions and providing a wealth of threads to follow if one wishes to continue learning about the subject. And while Bob has a point of view (and, unusual among philosophers, actually shares it!), he does a good job of representing opposing views with compassion and clarity.

Recommended for anyone interested in the subject.

Not recommended for those who want to avoid feeling any discomfort around how humans relate with animals.

[Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid introduction to ethics through the lens of animal issues.