Speciesism In Biology And Culture

Author : Brian Swartz,Brent D. Mishler
Publisher : Springer
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2022-09-24
Category : Science
ISBN : 303099029X

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Speciesism in Biology and Culture by Brian Swartz,Brent D. Mishler Pdf

This open access book explores a wide-ranging discussion about the sociopolitical, cultural, and scientific ramifications of speciesism and world views that derive from it. In this light, it integrates subjects across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The 21st-century western world is anthropocentric to an extreme; we adopt unreasonably self-centered and self-serving ideas and lifestyles. Americans consume more energy resources per person than most other nations on Earth and have little concept of how human ecology and population biology interface with global sustainability. We draw upon religion, popular culture, politics, and technology to justify our views and actions, yet remain self-centered because our considerations rarely extend beyond our immediate interests. Stepping upward on the hierarchy from “racism,” “speciesism” likewise refers to the view that unique natural kinds (species) exist and are an important structural element of biodiversity. This ideology manifests in the cultural idea that humans are distinct from and intrinsically superior to other forms of life. It further carries a plurality of implications for how we perceive ourselves in relation to nature, how we view Judeo-Christian religions and their tenets, how we respond to scientific data about social problems such as climate change, and how willing we are to change our actions in the face of evidence.

Author : Brian Swartz,Brent D. Mishler
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 206 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2022-12-16
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783030990312

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Speciesism in Biology and Culture by Brian Swartz,Brent D. Mishler Pdf

This open access book explores a wide-ranging discussion about the sociopolitical, cultural, and scientific ramifications of speciesism and world views that derive from it. In this light, it integrates subjects across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The 21st-century western world is anthropocentric to an extreme; we adopt unreasonably self-centered and self-serving ideas and lifestyles. Americans consume more energy resources per person than most other nations on Earth and have little concept of how human ecology and population biology interface with global sustainability. We draw upon religion, popular culture, politics, and technology to justify our views and actions, yet remain self-centered because our considerations rarely extend beyond our immediate interests. Stepping upward on the hierarchy from “racism,” “speciesism” likewise refers to the view that unique natural kinds (species) exist and are an important structural element of biodiversity. This ideology manifests in the cultural idea that humans are distinct from and intrinsically superior to other forms of life. It further carries a plurality of implications for how we perceive ourselves in relation to nature, how we view Judeo-Christian religions and their tenets, how we respond to scientific data about social problems such as climate change, and how willing we are to change our actions in the face of evidence.

Author : Brian Swartz
Publisher : Independent Author
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2023-05-10
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1805299867

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Cultural and Biological Speciesism by Brian Swartz Pdf

Homo sapiens compulsively create and label categories-of things and even of ideas. We identify and give names, for example, to mountain peaks, rocks, languages, religions, behaviors, books, subatomic particles, elements, and living creatures. By placing a semblance of order upon what otherwise might be inchoate complexity, communication becomes easier. And, in science, categorization and insight into process have historically advanced in tandem. In the living world, the widely used hierarchy of categories extends from the molecular and cellular subunits of individual organisms, through organs and other body parts, to the individual, the population, the species, and on up the taxonomic ladder through genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, and then all of life, itself. Finer divisions arise as well, such as subfamilies, superfamilies, and subspecies, all with the same intent: to enhance communication and insight. There, near the midpoint in the categories of life, sits what is arguably the most widely discussed category of all, at least in biology: species. In the vernacular and in the scientific literature, it is species that exhibit distinct traits, species that go extinct, species we must protect, species that provide ecosystem services, species that need to migrate under global warming if they are to survive, and species that Darwin unraveled the "origin of". Species, species, species... Why? Does a fixation on that category truly abet understanding and communication? If not, what is the alternative? Those and related questions are the focus of this book. Linnaeus focused attention on species when he invented binomial nomenclature (a generic and a specific epithet that comprise a species name or binomen), and Darwin reified the concept in his classic work. Species are collections of twigs on the evolutionary tree of life that are considered different enough from other collections to be so designated-basically different "kinds" of organisms. It is generally agreed that sexually reproducing organisms that are sympatric (live together) without commonly interbreeding will be considered separate species. But judgments about allopatric populations (those geographically separated) are mostly matters of taste. Basically, species are arbitrary stages in a continuous evolutionary process of population differentiation. Sadly, there is a large silly literature on how to define species that does not recognize this evolutionary fact.

Author : John Tyler Bonner
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 1980
Category : Science
ISBN : 0691082502

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The Evolution of Culture in Animals by John Tyler Bonner Pdf

More than fifty illustrations highlight a provocative study tracing the origins of culture as man now knows it back to the early biological evolution of animals

Author : Raymond Corbey,Annette Lanjouw
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 311 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2013-09-05
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781107032606

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The Politics of Species by Raymond Corbey,Annette Lanjouw Pdf

Experts from a range of disciplines identify the key barriers to a definition of moral respect that includes nonhuman animals.

Author : Ben A. Minteer,Jonathan B. Losos
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2024-08-13
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780691228624

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The Heart of the Wild by Ben A. Minteer,Jonathan B. Losos Pdf

"How do we keep a love of nature and the wild alive in our increasingly human-dominated world? According to the scientists and writers in this book, doing so is of paramount significance; however, the answer is not necessarily blanket preservation of wild places, which is increasingly unrealistic. Rather, the answer to "how to care for nature" is more nuanced and often entails acceptance of a broader definition of wild as well and what it means to experience nature. This book will be divided into two parts. In the first part, authors will explore and complicate what wildness means. For example, science writer Emma Marris argues that spontaneous vegetation and free-roaming animals in cities actually possess more autonomy than the wolves or pines of Yellowstone; biologist Jonathan Losos asks whether invasive species are necessarily detrimental and may even play a role in restoring ecosystems; and psychologist Susan Clayton discusses new ways of experiencing nature, particularly via technology, and what the benefits and limitations may be. In the second half of the book, essays will reflect on the roles of naturalism, natural history, and nature education & communication in helping us connect with wild species and landscapes at a time when many of those connections have frayed or even lost altogether"--

Author : Roberto Marchesini,Marco Celentano
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 270 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2021-05-22
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783030742034

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Critical Ethology and Post-Anthropocentric Ethics by Roberto Marchesini,Marco Celentano Pdf

The primary purpose of this book is to contribute to an overcoming of the traditional separation between humanties and life sciences which, according to the authors, is required today both by the developments of these disciplines and by the social problems they have to face. The volume discusses the theoretical, epistemological and ethical repercussions of the main acquisitions obtained in the last decades from the behavioral sciences. Both the authors are inspired by the concept of a “critical ethology”, oriented to archive the nature/culture and human/animal dichotomies. The book proposes a theoretical and methodological restructuring of the comparative study of the animal behavior, learning, and cultures, focused on the fact that thought, culture and language are not exclusively human prerogatives. The proposed analysis includes a critique of speciesism and determinism in the ethical field, and converge with the Numanities, to which the series is dedicated, on a key point: it is necessary to arrive at an education system able to offer scientific, social and ethical skills that are trasversal and transcendent to the traditional humanities/life sciences bipartition. Skills that are indispensable for facing the complex challenges of the contemporary society and promoting a critical reflection of humanity on itself.

Author : Erin McKenna
Publisher : Fordham Univ Press
Page : 265 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2013-03
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780823251148

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Pets, People, and Pragmatism by Erin McKenna Pdf

This book examines human relationships with pets without assuming that such relations are either unnatural and to be avoided, or benign. We need to find ways to relate respectfully. For respectful relationships to be a real possibility, though, humans must make the effort to understand the beings with whom they live, work, and play.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 558 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 1993
Category : Biology
ISBN : UOM:39015025714836

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The American Biology Teacher by Anonim Pdf

Author : Rachel Mundy
Publisher : Wesleyan University Press
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2018-05-15
Category : Music
ISBN : 9780819578082

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Animal Musicalities by Rachel Mundy Pdf

Over the past century and a half, the voices and bodies of animals have been used by scientists and music experts as a benchmark for measures of natural difference. Animal Musicalities traces music’s taxonomies from Darwin to digital bird guides to show how animal song has become the starting point for enduring evaluations of species, races, and cultures. By examining the influential efforts made by a small group of men and women to define human diversity in relation to animal voices, this book raises profound questions about the creation of modern human identity, and the foundations of modern humanism.

Author : Carol J. Adams,Josephine Donovan
Publisher : Duke University Press
Page : 396 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 1995-11-14
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0822316676

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Animals and Women by Carol J. Adams,Josephine Donovan Pdf

Animals and Women is a collection of pioneering essays that explores the theoretical connections between feminism and animal defense. Offering a feminist perspective on the status of animals, this unique volume argues persuasively that both the social construction and oppressions of women are inextricably connected to the ways in which we comprehend and abuse other species. Furthermore, it demonstrates that such a focus does not distract from the struggle for women’s rights, but rather contributes to it. This wide-ranging multidisciplinary anthology presents original material from scholars in a variety of fields, as well as a rare, early article by Virginia Woolf. Exploring the leading edge of the species/gender boundary, it addresses such issues as the relationship between abortion rights and animal rights, the connection between woman-battering and animal abuse, and the speciesist basis for much sexist language. Also considered are the ways in which animals have been regarded by science, literature, and the environmentalist movement. A striking meditation on women and wolves is presented, as is an examination of sexual harassment and the taxonomy of hunters and hunting. Finally, this compelling collection suggests that the subordination and degradation of women is a prototype for other forms of abuse, and that to deny this connection is to participate in the continued mistreatment of animals and women.

Author : Michael F. Allen
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 319 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2022-04-14
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780521831499

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Mycorrhizal Dynamics in Ecological Systems by Michael F. Allen Pdf

Interdisciplinary volume on dynamic interactions between plants and fungi and how they scale up to land management and global change.

Author : Nicolae Sfetcu
Publisher : MultiMedia Publishing
Page : 504 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2024-06-06
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9786060337553

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Philosophy - Basic Notions, Volume 2 by Nicolae Sfetcu Pdf

A basic introduction to the world of philosophy, with answers to the deepest questions we all ask ourselves, through the lens of the world's greatest philosophers, from Plato and Confucius to modern thinkers. A guide to the fundamental nature of existence, society and the way we think. After an overview of philosophy, with the history of philosophy, branches of philosophy, philosophical concepts and philosophical schools and traditions, specific topics in philosophy are addressed, such as God (religion), good and evil (ethics), animal rights, politics (political philosophy), appearance and reality, science (philosophy of science), mind (philosophy of mind), and art (aesthetics). Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning such matters as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophical methods include questioning, critical discussion, rational argument, and systematic presentation. Classical philosophical questions include both abstract questions (Is it possible to know something and prove it? What is most real?) and more practical and concrete questions (Is there an optimal way to live? Is it better to be just or unjust? Do people have free will?) Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of approaching these problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and reliance on rational arguments. Other investigations are closely related to art, science, politics, or other pursuits. For example, is beauty objective or subjective? Are there many scientific methods or just one? Is political utopia a hopeful dream or hopeless fantasy? The main sub-fields of academic philosophy include metaphysics ("concerned with the fundamental nature of reality and being"), epistemology (about the nature and foundations of knowledge andits limits and validity), ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, logic, philosophy of science and the history of Western philosophy. Many philosophical debates that began in antiquity are still debated today.

Author : Helena Feder
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 192 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2016-04-29
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9781317146414

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Ecocriticism and the Idea of Culture by Helena Feder Pdf

Ecocriticism and the Idea of Culture: Biology and the Bildungsroman draws on work by Kinji Imanishi, Frans de Waal, and other biologists to create an interdisciplinary, materialist notion of culture for ecocritical analysis. In this timely intervention, Feder examines the humanist idea of culture by taking a fresh look at the stories it explicitly tells about itself. These stories fall into the genre of the Bildungsroman, the tale of individual acculturation that participates in the myth of its complete separation from and opposition to nature which, Feder argues, is culture’s own origin story. Moving from Voltaire’s Candide to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and from Virginia Woolf’s Orlando to Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy, the book dramatizes humanism’s own awareness of the fallacy of this foundational binary. In the final chapters, Feder examines the discourse of animality at work in this narrative as a humanist fantasy about empathy, one that paradoxically excludes other animals from the ethical community to justify the continued domination of both human and nonhuman others.

Author : Michele Farisco
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 273 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2023-11-28
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781394257515

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Neuroethics and Cultural Diversity by Michele Farisco Pdf

There is a growing discussion concerning the relationship between neuroethical reflections and cultural diversity, which is among the most impactful factors in shaping neuroethics, both as a scientific discipline and a social enterprise. The impacts of culture on science and its public perception are particularly relevant to neuroethics, which aims to facilitate the creation of an interface between neuroscience and society at large. Time is ripe for neuroethics to review the influence of the culturally specific contexts from which it originated (i.e. North America and Western Europe) and to also include other cultural perspectives in the discussion. This book illustrates a convergent approach among different cultures in identifying the main issues raised by neuroscience and emerging technologies. This should be taken as a starting point for advancing in the search for shared solutions, which are, if not definitive, at least sufficiently reliable to be translated into democratic deliberative processes.