Animals, Politics and Morality

by Robert Garner

This is an extensively re-written second edition of a well regarded and much cited text on the issue of animal protection. It remains the only text to combine an examination of the philosophy and politics of the issue. Its central argument is that the philosophical debate is central to an understanding and evaluation of the substantive issues involving animals and the nature of the movement for change. The book has been thoroughly revised to include major theoretical and empirical developments. Specifically, the "second generation" of animal ethics literature is examined in detail, and attention is paid to the campaigns and public controversy over the export of live animals and the use of animals in research, the impact of genetic engineering on the welfare of animals and the latest developments in the controversy over hunting.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics

296 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

Reviews

[Martin Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in the 1990s and updated in 2003, and focused mainly on the UK, this book is inevitably dated by events over the last 13 years. Nonetheless, it lays out admirably clearly the social, political, and ethical issues surrounding the use of animals and the campaigns waged against their exploitation. Garner is thoughtful and occasionally pungent in his analysis, and doesn't duck the hard issues. I would recommend it as a more-than-useful introduction to the animal rights debate. However, a new and fully revised edition—one that, perhaps, also looked at the emergence of animal rights within continental Europe and elsewhere—would be welcome.