Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good

Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good
ISBN-10
0230552277
ISBN-13
9780230552272
Category
Science
Pages
256
Language
English
Published
2006-05-02
Publisher
St. Martin's Press
Author
Jonathan Balcombe

Description

The recognition of animal pain and stress, once controversial, is now acknowledged by legislation in many countries, but there is no formal recognition of animals' ability to feel pleasure. Pleasurable Kingdom is the first book for lay-readers to present new evidence that animals--like humans--enjoy themselves. It debunks the popular perception that life for most is a continuous, grim struggle for survival and the avoidance of pain. Instead it suggests that creatures from birds to baboons feel good thanks to play, sex, touch, food, anticipation, comfort, aesthetics, and more. Combining rigorous evidence, elegant argument and amusing anecdotes, leading animal behavior researcher Jonathan Balcombe proposes that the possibility of positive feelings in creatures other than humans has important ethical ramifications for both science and society.

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