In the Company of Animals: A Study of Human-Animal Relationships

In the Company of Animals: A Study of Human-Animal Relationships
ISBN-10
0521577799
ISBN-13
9780521577793
Category
Nature
Pages
320
Language
English
Published
1996-08-13
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Author
James Serpell

Description

What purpose, if any, do pets really serve? Are they simply an outlet for misplaced love? Or four-legged friends who help us to satisfy vital emotional needs? Whatever they are, when we elevate pets to the status of social companions, we undermine the distinction between human and non-human. In other words, pets force us to confront the moral contradictions inherent in our treatment of animals in general. Pursuing this idea to its logical conclusion, the author uncovers a fascinating and disturbing trail of myths, evasions and double standards which humans have used since earliest times to justify their subjugation of nature and other life forms. Through an exploration of the phenomenon of pet-keeping across history and between cultures, this thought-provoking study reassesses our relationships with animals and the natural world. This new edition of In the Company of Animals has been substantially revised and updated to take into account developments in research since the first edition was published in 1986.

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