Animal Minds, Animal Souls, Animal Rights

By (author) James V. Parker

Publication date:

08 July 2010

Length of book:

166 pages

Publisher

University Press of America

Dimensions:

232x155mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780761851776

Animal Minds, Animal Souls, Animal Rights explores the thinking of philosophers and theologians about controversies concerning animal consciousness and animal rights. The book presents Bernard Lonergan's theory about consciousness and the operations of the mind-a theory about two types of knowing and desiring: one shared by humans and animals, and the other, which depends on the activity of asking questions, possessed by humans alone. The author tests this theory against present-day research with apes, and examines religious claims, historical and current, about animals. Animal Minds, Animal Souls, Animal Rights concludes by laying a philosophical and theological foundation for a contemporary ethic in which humans are obligated to exercise intelligent stewardship and ensure the compassionate treatment of animals.

Chapter 1 Preface
Chapter 2 Acknowledgements
Chapter 3 Chapter 1: Aminal Interests
Chapter 4 Chapter 2: Animal Beliefs and Desires
Chapter 5 Chapter 3: Conciousness and Cognition
Chapter 6 Chapter 4: Desires and Values
Chapter 7 Chapter 5: Human and Animal Minds
Chapter 8 Chapter 6: Animal Rights
Chapter 9 Chapter 7: God's Rights
Chapter 10 Chapter 8: Animal Souls
Chapter 11 Chapter 9: The Bible
Chapter 12 Chapter 10: Animals in Western Thought
Chapter 13 Chapter 11: Beyond Animal Rights: A Delicate Stewardship
Chapter 14 Appendix: Synagogues, Churches, and Religions
Chapter 15 Notes
Chapter 16 Bibliography
Chapter 17 Index
Chapter 18 About the Author

…an excellent job in laying out the central issues involved in the debate, relating them to the long tradition of Catholic teaching on the subject. Even if one should find his personal proposal for a "delicate stewardship" an unsatisfactory solution, his book provides invaluable material for a thorough rational conversation about the question. In so doing he helps to move the conversation beyond its often polarized state today.