Reading and Media Resources: Philosophy and Ethics

An early proponent of the idea that animals could be entitled to rights, Salt wrote: "If we are ever going to do justice to the lower races, we must get rid of the antiquated notion of a 'great gulf'...

A deep dive into one of the thorniest questions in contemporary animal activism: What are the differences, and similarities, between violent animal exploitation and abortion of human fetuses and how...

This metafictional novella by the South African Nobel laureate depicts lectures delivered by a fictional character, Elizabeth Costello, regarding animals and what is done to them, and lays out the...

A series of dialogues between two college students – a meat-eater and an ethical vegetarian – regarding the ethical questions that arise in contemplating the consumption of animal bodies as well as...

Examines the arguments for veganism as a moral imperative and determines that, while there are good reasons for such a move, they are not strong enough to support that conclusion, while nevertheless...

An exploration of the ambiguous ethics at the heart of the relationships between humans and the animals with whom they share their lives. Through anecdote and scientifically informed analyses of...

The classic and groundbreaking work applying utilitarian principles to the questions of the ethical treatment of animals. Written for a mainstream audience, this work is an indispensable starting...

Recognizing that the term “empathy,” although increasingly important in both moral theory and animal ethics, is often not precisely defined, this work seeks to clarify the different and sometimes...

A collection of quotations from the philosopher and altruist regarding the applicability of his fundamental principle of “reverence for life” to the lives of animals. With commentary by Ann Cottrell...

A personal and thought provoking manifesto regarding the process by which humans have cut themselves off from animals and the natural world, the extraordinarily negative effects this process has had...