Publisher's Synopsis
A book of 30 extracts from major political philosophers from Plato to Russell, on the nature of animals and their relation to humanity. The book aims to demonstrate the major shifts in thinking about the place of animals in society which have taken place over 2500 years. Theories about the nature of animal life have always been reflected in philosophy, particularly in philosophies of the social realm and the ideal political structure. This book aims to explore notions of animals as property, the use of animal analogies, the concept of hierarchies of species, and the political concept of "animal" which has been used to separate human beings from each other.
