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Ethics Into Action: Henry Spira and the Animal Rights Movement
Henry Spira's extraordinary life as an activist shows that an individual can make a difference. Inspired by the thinking of Peter Singer in the early 1970's, Henry turned Singer's ethical lessons into action, launching campaigns against organizations whose practices caused unnecessary suffering to animals. By thinking about how giant corporations, including Revlon, Avon, Perdue, and McDonald's, might be vulnerable, he found ways to change their practices and save the lives and health of animals all over the United States. This book tells the inspiring story of a lifelong activist whose creativity and careful thought set the standard for the animal rights movement in the twentieth century.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 1998
22 people are currently reading
601 people want to read
About the author
Peter Singer
186 books10.9k followersPeter Singer is sometimes called "the world’s most influential living philosopher" although he thinks that if that is true, it doesn't say much for all the other living philosophers around today. He has also been called the father (or grandfather?) of the modern animal rights movement, even though he doesn't base his philosophical views on rights, either for humans or for animals.
In 2005 Time magazine named Singer one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute ranked him 3rd among Global Thought Leaders for 2013. (He has since slipped to 36th.) He is known especially for his work on the ethics of our treatment of animals, for his controversial critique of the sanctity of life doctrine in bioethics, and for his writings on the obligations of the affluent to aid those living in extreme poverty.
Singer first became well-known internationally after the publication of Animal Liberation in 1975. In 2011 Time included Animal Liberation on its “All-TIME” list of the 100 best nonfiction books published in English since the magazine began, in 1923. Singer has written, co-authored, edited or co-edited more than 50 books, including Practical Ethics; The Expanding Circle; How Are We to Live?, Rethinking Life and Death, The Ethics of What We Eat (with Jim Mason), The Point of View of the Universe (with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek), The Most Good You Can Do, Ethics in the Real World and Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction. His works have appeared in more than 30 languages.
Singer’s book The Life You Can Save, first published in 2009, led him to found a non-profit organization of the same name. In 2019, Singer got back the rights to the book and granted them to the organization, enabling it to make the eBook and audiobook versions available free from its website, www.thelifeyoucansave.org.
Peter Singer was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1946, and educated at the University of Melbourne and the University of Oxford. After teaching in England, the United States and Australia, he has, since 1999, been Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He is married, with three daughters and four grandchildren. His recreations include hiking and surfing. In 2012 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, the nation’s highest civic honour.
In 2005 Time magazine named Singer one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute ranked him 3rd among Global Thought Leaders for 2013. (He has since slipped to 36th.) He is known especially for his work on the ethics of our treatment of animals, for his controversial critique of the sanctity of life doctrine in bioethics, and for his writings on the obligations of the affluent to aid those living in extreme poverty.
Singer first became well-known internationally after the publication of Animal Liberation in 1975. In 2011 Time included Animal Liberation on its “All-TIME” list of the 100 best nonfiction books published in English since the magazine began, in 1923. Singer has written, co-authored, edited or co-edited more than 50 books, including Practical Ethics; The Expanding Circle; How Are We to Live?, Rethinking Life and Death, The Ethics of What We Eat (with Jim Mason), The Point of View of the Universe (with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek), The Most Good You Can Do, Ethics in the Real World and Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction. His works have appeared in more than 30 languages.
Singer’s book The Life You Can Save, first published in 2009, led him to found a non-profit organization of the same name. In 2019, Singer got back the rights to the book and granted them to the organization, enabling it to make the eBook and audiobook versions available free from its website, www.thelifeyoucansave.org.
Peter Singer was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1946, and educated at the University of Melbourne and the University of Oxford. After teaching in England, the United States and Australia, he has, since 1999, been Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He is married, with three daughters and four grandchildren. His recreations include hiking and surfing. In 2012 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, the nation’s highest civic honour.
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December 17, 2014
For more than a century, anti-vivisection societies had been campaigning against animal experiments without having the slightest impact. … While they put out their strongly worded leaflets condemning animal experimentation, the number of animals used in research grew from a few hundred a year to an estimated 20 million. … The antivivisection movement had been in existence for more than a century without ever stopping a single experiment.
And then along came Henry Spira.
Spria’s campaigning on behalf of animals brought the animal protection movement into its own, from an ignored fringe issue to a matter of national debate. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Spira or have never heard of him, all animal advocates owe it to themselves to pick up this book.
Spira’s very first campaign, against a series of bizarre and unjustifiable cat experiments conducted by the American Museum of Natural History, made history in itself in that it was the first time ever that public advocacy has stopped an animal experiment. But Spira didn’t just sit on his laurels. Using the momentum gained through the Museum campaign, he targeted similarly superfluous examples of the vivisection establishment’s unquestioned power.
For decades a New York law mandated that all animal shelters had to release their unclaimed pets into the hands of vivisectors. This particularly odious policy, called “pound seizure,” was hated by shelter workers and most citizens, but it had some very powerful defenders in the legislature.
The National Society for Medical Research boasted of its success in stifling the repeal of the act. … Lobbying hard against the repeal was the New York state biomedical research establishment: the Medical Society for the State of New York, the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, the Council of Agricultural Organizations, and of course, the National Society for Medical Research, which feared that if New York repealed its pound seizure law, other states would follow suit.
The users of shelter pets were no penny-ante outfits either. The pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers was the most persistent and last remaining company to raid NY animal shelters for lab subjects. However, Spira succeeded in getting this law repealed, setting a template for other states to do the same.
One of Spira’s most lasting legacies is the ability for cosmetics companies to state that they use no animals in product testing. Thanks to Spira’s ingenious, measured campaigns, the cosmetics companies began funding research that led to the development of non-animal testing methods.
The cosmetics industry uses less than 1 percent of animals used in product testing. But it was the cosmetics industry that opened up the whole field of nonanimal toxicology …
Readers may be surprised that the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing cultivated some surprising sponsors, including Exxon, IBM, the EPA, the NIH, cosmetics and drug companies. And Spira’s respectable approach even won a grudging respect from animal rights’ toughest critics. Even pro-vivisection crusader Frankie Trull of the Association for Biomedical Research advised a SmithKline executive to meet with Henry because of his professionalism.
When the animal use industries argue that we don’t need the animal rights movement because they would do the right thing anyway, it’s important to know the history discussed within this book.
The [20/20] reporter asked why the Federal Government utilizes such a painful test, and why the animal was not given pain medication. The official responded that “No one thought of it.”
…
In a move that revealed how utterly mindless the approach to the use of animals in safety testing had been before Henry started campaigning against it, the government’s Interagency Regularity Liaison Group issued a statement that “substances known to be corrosive may be assumed to be eye irritants” and should not be tested on the eyes of rabbits.
We cannot trust corporations and gov’t agencies to do the right thing on their own when animals are involved. We need an engaged and active sector of the public to make sure they live up to society’s standards of humaneness.
We can also thank Henry Spira for putting farmed animals front and center into the animal protection agenda. In previous decades, the movement had virtually ignored farmed animals all the while the factory farming abuses had grown progressively worse. (Think today’s factory farm industry claims are insipid? In the ‘70s and ‘80s, Perdue was referring to its factory broiler sheds as “Chicken Heaven” and of the birds’ lives, “your kids never had it so good!” LMAO. )
Spira saw great change in his lifetime, but he also saw the rise of the first great backlash against animal protection. Singer includes the best recounting of the Fran Trutt debacle I’ve read yet, which amazingly enough, is still occasionally cited by animal use interests as evidence of the “dangerous” nature of AR folks. If you care about animals or corporate responsibility at all, you owe it to yourself to read about this issue.
Unfortunately, animal advocates tend to butt heads with each other nearly as much as they do with animal abusive industries. The “radical abolitionist” vs. “incremental approach” argument was alive and well in Spira’s time, too.
For many activists in the animal rights movement, [an incremental approach] was heresy. All animal testing was a violation of the rights of animals and should be stopped. Henry’s ultimate goal was as radical as anyone’s but he also thought that it was simply unrealistic to expect that goal to be achieved in the near future. … His thought was: the animals are suffering now, and if we can change things so that some of them don’t suffer, then we should do so.
Those animal advocates who are not fond of PETA are not likely to find much to sway their opinion within this book. Some animal advocates are on a near-obsessive tear against Procter & Gamble, and it’s a campaign I got swept up into during my younger years, before I had access to more nuanced views via the Internet and Animal People News. P&G reports it has spent $64 million to develop nonanimal testing methods, roughly three times as much as any other company or institution. Yet, some activists, goaded by PETA, have focused on P&G even as other companies’ animal testing rates have stayed the same or even increased. Spira wrote:
“I do not support PETA’s campaign which attempts to portray P&G as the villain when, in fact, P&G has the best record to date in developing, implementing, and promoting alternatives to the use of animals in product testing.”
Historically PETA also seemed to enjoy horning in on other groups’ work and then taking the credit when years of difficult campaigning came to fruition.
To those with no knowledge of the history of the issue—and since the animal rights movement was young and had grown rapidly, that meant most of its supporters—it looked as if it was PETA’s boycott that brought about Avon’s announcement. .. Cosmetics companies were in a position to stop animal testing only because of the development of alternatives. … The development of alternatives was an essential prerequisite for the success of PETA’s boycott.
I’ve also read PETA materials that mention Amnesty International’s pig torture experiments as if they were recent occurrences. Henry Spira, in reaction to these pointless experiments, convinced Amnesty to stop sponsoring animal experiments in 1978!
And then along came Henry Spira.
Spria’s campaigning on behalf of animals brought the animal protection movement into its own, from an ignored fringe issue to a matter of national debate. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Spira or have never heard of him, all animal advocates owe it to themselves to pick up this book.
Spira’s very first campaign, against a series of bizarre and unjustifiable cat experiments conducted by the American Museum of Natural History, made history in itself in that it was the first time ever that public advocacy has stopped an animal experiment. But Spira didn’t just sit on his laurels. Using the momentum gained through the Museum campaign, he targeted similarly superfluous examples of the vivisection establishment’s unquestioned power.
For decades a New York law mandated that all animal shelters had to release their unclaimed pets into the hands of vivisectors. This particularly odious policy, called “pound seizure,” was hated by shelter workers and most citizens, but it had some very powerful defenders in the legislature.
The National Society for Medical Research boasted of its success in stifling the repeal of the act. … Lobbying hard against the repeal was the New York state biomedical research establishment: the Medical Society for the State of New York, the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, the Council of Agricultural Organizations, and of course, the National Society for Medical Research, which feared that if New York repealed its pound seizure law, other states would follow suit.
The users of shelter pets were no penny-ante outfits either. The pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers was the most persistent and last remaining company to raid NY animal shelters for lab subjects. However, Spira succeeded in getting this law repealed, setting a template for other states to do the same.
One of Spira’s most lasting legacies is the ability for cosmetics companies to state that they use no animals in product testing. Thanks to Spira’s ingenious, measured campaigns, the cosmetics companies began funding research that led to the development of non-animal testing methods.
The cosmetics industry uses less than 1 percent of animals used in product testing. But it was the cosmetics industry that opened up the whole field of nonanimal toxicology …
Readers may be surprised that the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing cultivated some surprising sponsors, including Exxon, IBM, the EPA, the NIH, cosmetics and drug companies. And Spira’s respectable approach even won a grudging respect from animal rights’ toughest critics. Even pro-vivisection crusader Frankie Trull of the Association for Biomedical Research advised a SmithKline executive to meet with Henry because of his professionalism.
When the animal use industries argue that we don’t need the animal rights movement because they would do the right thing anyway, it’s important to know the history discussed within this book.
The [20/20] reporter asked why the Federal Government utilizes such a painful test, and why the animal was not given pain medication. The official responded that “No one thought of it.”
…
In a move that revealed how utterly mindless the approach to the use of animals in safety testing had been before Henry started campaigning against it, the government’s Interagency Regularity Liaison Group issued a statement that “substances known to be corrosive may be assumed to be eye irritants” and should not be tested on the eyes of rabbits.
We cannot trust corporations and gov’t agencies to do the right thing on their own when animals are involved. We need an engaged and active sector of the public to make sure they live up to society’s standards of humaneness.
We can also thank Henry Spira for putting farmed animals front and center into the animal protection agenda. In previous decades, the movement had virtually ignored farmed animals all the while the factory farming abuses had grown progressively worse. (Think today’s factory farm industry claims are insipid? In the ‘70s and ‘80s, Perdue was referring to its factory broiler sheds as “Chicken Heaven” and of the birds’ lives, “your kids never had it so good!” LMAO. )
Spira saw great change in his lifetime, but he also saw the rise of the first great backlash against animal protection. Singer includes the best recounting of the Fran Trutt debacle I’ve read yet, which amazingly enough, is still occasionally cited by animal use interests as evidence of the “dangerous” nature of AR folks. If you care about animals or corporate responsibility at all, you owe it to yourself to read about this issue.
Unfortunately, animal advocates tend to butt heads with each other nearly as much as they do with animal abusive industries. The “radical abolitionist” vs. “incremental approach” argument was alive and well in Spira’s time, too.
For many activists in the animal rights movement, [an incremental approach] was heresy. All animal testing was a violation of the rights of animals and should be stopped. Henry’s ultimate goal was as radical as anyone’s but he also thought that it was simply unrealistic to expect that goal to be achieved in the near future. … His thought was: the animals are suffering now, and if we can change things so that some of them don’t suffer, then we should do so.
Those animal advocates who are not fond of PETA are not likely to find much to sway their opinion within this book. Some animal advocates are on a near-obsessive tear against Procter & Gamble, and it’s a campaign I got swept up into during my younger years, before I had access to more nuanced views via the Internet and Animal People News. P&G reports it has spent $64 million to develop nonanimal testing methods, roughly three times as much as any other company or institution. Yet, some activists, goaded by PETA, have focused on P&G even as other companies’ animal testing rates have stayed the same or even increased. Spira wrote:
“I do not support PETA’s campaign which attempts to portray P&G as the villain when, in fact, P&G has the best record to date in developing, implementing, and promoting alternatives to the use of animals in product testing.”
Historically PETA also seemed to enjoy horning in on other groups’ work and then taking the credit when years of difficult campaigning came to fruition.
To those with no knowledge of the history of the issue—and since the animal rights movement was young and had grown rapidly, that meant most of its supporters—it looked as if it was PETA’s boycott that brought about Avon’s announcement. .. Cosmetics companies were in a position to stop animal testing only because of the development of alternatives. … The development of alternatives was an essential prerequisite for the success of PETA’s boycott.
I’ve also read PETA materials that mention Amnesty International’s pig torture experiments as if they were recent occurrences. Henry Spira, in reaction to these pointless experiments, convinced Amnesty to stop sponsoring animal experiments in 1978!
April 11, 2021
A lot of good lesson-learned activism and wisdom from this great life
August 9, 2018
Comment faire bouger les grandes entreprises et les Etats quand on est tout seul et sans argent ? Henry Spira a la réponse.
De McDonald's au Museum d'Histoire naturelle, en passant par le législateur et les géants de la cosmétique Revlon, Avon et l’Oréal, Spira a fait plier un à un chaque organisation à laquelle il s'attaquait.
Pourtant, quand Henri Spira lance sa première campagne contre des expériences sur le comportement sexuel des chats mutilés, les mouvements pour la cause animale ont derrière eux 20 ans de gesticulations sans aucune avancée concrète.
Sans avoir jamais appartenu à une grosse structure, l'homme est l'initiateur de quelques unes des plus grandes victoires du mouvement, changeant les pratiques d’industries entières, et transformant la définition de ce qui est acceptable.
Inspiré de ce qu’il a appris au contact des mouvements ouvrier et des droits civiques la “méthode Spira” a à son tour influencé durablement de nombreux activistes.
Le philosophe Peter Singer a compilé les principes de Spira pour changer le monde :
1. Choisissez votre cible : trouvez une pratique condamnable qui choquerait tout le monde (pas seulement vous !).
2. Fixez-vous un objectif atteignable. Demandez à McDonalds de réduire la souffrance dans ses abattoirs, pas d'arrêter de vendre de la viande.
3. Connaissez votre sujet à fond (Spira passait des mois à préparer ses campagnes). Ne mentez jamais, même par omission : vous devez être crédible sur le long terme.
4. Ne diabolisez pas votre interlocuteur. Commencez en proposant de collaborer pour résoudre ensemble le problème.
5. Ayez une solution réaliste à proposer. Quand Spira écrit à Revlon au sujet des milliers de lapins qu'ils aveuglent chaque il leur propose une alternative : investir dans la recherche.
6. Soyez prêt à la confrontation. Si la main tendue est une impasse, Spira lance l'offensive. Articles dans les médias locaux et nationaux, publicités-brûlots, manifestations, il les utilise avec parcimonie ce savant mélange de ses techniques préférées, montant graduellement en intensité pour accentuer la pression dans le dentifrice… jusqu’à ce que le bouchon saute.
7. Ne jamais perdez jamais de vue l'objectif : que ça fonctionne.
On s’y met ?
(J’ai entendu parler de ce livre dans une très chouette interview de Peter Singer avec Hugo Clément)
https://www.facebook.com/konbininews/...
💘 La théorie du tube de dentifrice, Peter Singer, Editions Goutte d'Or, 2018
Et rappelons-nous : “Le pouvoir n’accorde rien si on ne l’exige pas. Il ne l’a jamais fait et ne le fera jamais.” Frederick Douglass
De McDonald's au Museum d'Histoire naturelle, en passant par le législateur et les géants de la cosmétique Revlon, Avon et l’Oréal, Spira a fait plier un à un chaque organisation à laquelle il s'attaquait.
Pourtant, quand Henri Spira lance sa première campagne contre des expériences sur le comportement sexuel des chats mutilés, les mouvements pour la cause animale ont derrière eux 20 ans de gesticulations sans aucune avancée concrète.
Sans avoir jamais appartenu à une grosse structure, l'homme est l'initiateur de quelques unes des plus grandes victoires du mouvement, changeant les pratiques d’industries entières, et transformant la définition de ce qui est acceptable.
Inspiré de ce qu’il a appris au contact des mouvements ouvrier et des droits civiques la “méthode Spira” a à son tour influencé durablement de nombreux activistes.
Le philosophe Peter Singer a compilé les principes de Spira pour changer le monde :
1. Choisissez votre cible : trouvez une pratique condamnable qui choquerait tout le monde (pas seulement vous !).
2. Fixez-vous un objectif atteignable. Demandez à McDonalds de réduire la souffrance dans ses abattoirs, pas d'arrêter de vendre de la viande.
3. Connaissez votre sujet à fond (Spira passait des mois à préparer ses campagnes). Ne mentez jamais, même par omission : vous devez être crédible sur le long terme.
4. Ne diabolisez pas votre interlocuteur. Commencez en proposant de collaborer pour résoudre ensemble le problème.
5. Ayez une solution réaliste à proposer. Quand Spira écrit à Revlon au sujet des milliers de lapins qu'ils aveuglent chaque il leur propose une alternative : investir dans la recherche.
6. Soyez prêt à la confrontation. Si la main tendue est une impasse, Spira lance l'offensive. Articles dans les médias locaux et nationaux, publicités-brûlots, manifestations, il les utilise avec parcimonie ce savant mélange de ses techniques préférées, montant graduellement en intensité pour accentuer la pression dans le dentifrice… jusqu’à ce que le bouchon saute.
7. Ne jamais perdez jamais de vue l'objectif : que ça fonctionne.
On s’y met ?
(J’ai entendu parler de ce livre dans une très chouette interview de Peter Singer avec Hugo Clément)
https://www.facebook.com/konbininews/...
💘 La théorie du tube de dentifrice, Peter Singer, Editions Goutte d'Or, 2018
Et rappelons-nous : “Le pouvoir n’accorde rien si on ne l’exige pas. Il ne l’a jamais fait et ne le fera jamais.” Frederick Douglass
October 11, 2009
This book is so inspiring! Henry Spira became an animal rights activist at the age of 45 in 1973, before there was an animal rights movement. Written by Peter Singer, this is the story of Henry's incredible work on behalf of animals. He was a very sophisticated and pragmatic strategist. His first campaign--aimed at some rather ludicrous animal research at the Museum of Natural History--represented the very first time that anyone was ever successful in ending any animal experimentation, despite the fact that the antivivisection movement was over a century old. And he went on to do much, much more before dying at the age of 71.
Singer is a good writer and this is a highly readable book. It's a great story, and just as importantly, it is packed with good advice for activists. I wrote about it at length on my blog and listed Henry's tips there for being an effective activist.
Even if you not an animal rights activist, this book is well-worth reading. If you are an animal rights activist, it's essential reading!
Singer is a good writer and this is a highly readable book. It's a great story, and just as importantly, it is packed with good advice for activists. I wrote about it at length on my blog and listed Henry's tips there for being an effective activist.
Even if you not an animal rights activist, this book is well-worth reading. If you are an animal rights activist, it's essential reading!
June 18, 2018
Tube de dentifrice et stratégie de la cacahuète : on est servi en métaphore et en ESPOIR.
Livre à lire absolument pour trouver la force et la motivation d'agir, simplement.
Henry Spira, homme au cœur de l'ouvrage, est d'une inspiration folle et l'hommage que lui rend Peter Singer d'un pragmatisme bienvenu.
On ne peut être qu'admiratif du personnage et pourquoi pas, en faire un modèle à suivre...
Livre à lire absolument pour trouver la force et la motivation d'agir, simplement.
Henry Spira, homme au cœur de l'ouvrage, est d'une inspiration folle et l'hommage que lui rend Peter Singer d'un pragmatisme bienvenu.
On ne peut être qu'admiratif du personnage et pourquoi pas, en faire un modèle à suivre...
August 22, 2021
Inspirant et réconfortant. Un ouvrage très pertinent pour ceux qui luttent et souhaitent le faire efficacement. Ici, on en apprend beaucoup sur la vie d'Henry Spira et son succès général.
October 3, 2020
D'abord je veux dire milles mercis à Bastien, grace à lui, j'ai eu l'opportunite de rencontre avec henry spira et peter singer.
Si vous avez passé pas mal de temps dans les organisme socialiste et si vous etes un debutant vegan comme moi.
je vous conseille ce livre fortement!
La vie d'henry est comme un roman.
bu kitabı bana hediye eden bastien'a çok teşekkür borçluyum.
vegan olduğumu öğrenen arkadaşım bana aslı ingilizce olan bu kitabın fransızcasını verdi.
aslından okurum daha iyi anlarım demeden okumaya giriştim.
sanırım türkçe çevirisi yok olsa ne iyi olurdu diye düşünmedim değil.
fransızca okuduğum kitap sayısı bir elin parmağından daha az.
aynı şekilde veganlık hakkında okuduklarım da.
epey uzun süren sancılı ve sözlüklü okuma süreci sonunda çok şeyler öğrendim.
kitabın ilk bölümü henry'nin kişisel hayatı sonraki kısmı hayvan hakları mücadelesi olarak planlanmış.
benim için çok nokta atış bir çalışma imiş. Henry Spira'nın hayat hikayesi olan eser inanılmaz bir yoğunluk taşıyor.
Çünkü Henry'nin hayatı derslerle dolu.
belçika yahudisi küçük henry'nin ailesi faşizmin baskısı sonucunda göç eden sayısız aileden biri.
çocuk yaşta iken önce güney amerikada 2 yıl kalıyorlar, orda solculuğa merak salıyor henry.
fransızca ve hebrew yanında ispanyolca da öğreniyor. sonra babası nihai destinasyon olan abd'ye göçü gerçekleştiriyor.
henry'nin geri kalan hayatının geçeceği abd'ye yerleşiyorlar.
göçmenliğin yabancılığın zorluklarıyla boğuşa spira ailesin hayatı çoğu göçmenin sınandığı mental ve ekonomik zorluklarla geçiyor.
ne yazık ki henry'nin kız kardeşi babası zorlu abd maceralarını intiharla sonlandırıyorlar.
otoriter babasıyla anlaşamayıp evi erken yaşta terkeden henry 17 li yaşlardan itibaren kendi ayakları üzerinde duruyor.
bir yandan gemilerde elektrik işleri yapan henry bir yandan da troçkist sosyalist bir partide de görev alıyor.
gemi sendikasında yıllarca sendikal ağalara karşı mücadele etmeye çalışıyor.
tr'de de çokça örneğini gördüğümüz 30 küsür yıl aynı başkana sahip sendikalardan birisi bu.
irishmen isimli filmdeki benzer mafyöz bir sendika yani.
bir yandan da sosyalist partide yayın organında yazarlık muhabirlik yapıyor henry.
örneğin abd'deki ünlü siyah isyanlarını yerinde gözlemleyip gazeteye naklediyor hayatındak önemli birsürü kırılmadan birini orda yaşıyor.
partinin liderlerinden birinin partneri olan bir kadının ikinci sevgilisi oluyor ve bu yıllarca devam ediyor.
yani aşk konusunda da herhangi bir tabusu yokmuş henry'nin.
anladığım kadarıyla bir evliliği çocuğu yok. bu da tüm hayatını bir mücadeleye çevirmesine elverişli koşullar oluşturuyor.
askerliğini 2. savaş sonrası berlinde yapıyor. yıkılmış berlinde bir süre kaldıktan sonra
tekrar gemi işine dönse de 20 yıllık sosyalistlik ve sendikacılıktan sonra hayvan haklarına gönül vermeye başlıyor ve daha az kazanılan ama yerleşik olan lise öğretmenliği yapıyor hayatının son kısmında.
hayvan deneylerine karşı yıllar önceden gelen söylemsel mücadeleyi ete kemiğe büründürüp hep sonuç alıcı kampanyalar organize ediyor.
sosyalistlik sendikalılık zamanında bürokrasiden benim gibi sıtkı sıyrılmış olacak ki hayvan hakları meselesinde bürokratik organizasyon kurma ya da içinde yeralma fikrinden uzak duruyor.
ilk başarılı eylemi bir müzedeki hayvan deneylerini durdurtmak oluyor.
gazetelere ilan, müze önü eylemleri yanında deney yapan biliminsanlarının komşularına yaptıkları zalim deneyler hakkındaki dökümanları gönderme yolları gibi değişik yıldırma taktikleriyle başarıya ulaşıyor. günümüzdeki cancel kültürünün nüveleri gibi (bu noktada cancel kültürüne yana yakıla karşı çıkanlardan olmadığımı da belirteyim). daha sonraları loreal, revlon, avon, mcdonalds fbi gibi birçok dev organizmayla mücadeleye girişiyor, kazanımlar elde ediyor.
günümüzde süregelen birçok mücadelenin önsel örneklerini sergiliyor kısaca. hayvan deneyleri, mezhaba koşullarından, tavukların, ineklerin ahırlardaki işkencelerine kadar birçok konuya el atıyor.
henry'nin kitabın yazarı ve arkadaşı peter singer ile ilişkisi de yıllara yayılıyor.
Not: Peter Singer etik alanında çalışan bir filozof bu noktada daha fazla araştırmam gerekiyor sanırım çünkü Henry'de karşılığını bulan anlayış Singer'ın vegan anlayışını yansıtıyor ve sanırım abolisyonist veganlıktan biraz farklı bir bakış açısı, bunu da iyice kavramam gerekiyor ilerde.
Si vous avez passé pas mal de temps dans les organisme socialiste et si vous etes un debutant vegan comme moi.
je vous conseille ce livre fortement!
La vie d'henry est comme un roman.
bu kitabı bana hediye eden bastien'a çok teşekkür borçluyum.
vegan olduğumu öğrenen arkadaşım bana aslı ingilizce olan bu kitabın fransızcasını verdi.
aslından okurum daha iyi anlarım demeden okumaya giriştim.
sanırım türkçe çevirisi yok olsa ne iyi olurdu diye düşünmedim değil.
fransızca okuduğum kitap sayısı bir elin parmağından daha az.
aynı şekilde veganlık hakkında okuduklarım da.
epey uzun süren sancılı ve sözlüklü okuma süreci sonunda çok şeyler öğrendim.
kitabın ilk bölümü henry'nin kişisel hayatı sonraki kısmı hayvan hakları mücadelesi olarak planlanmış.
benim için çok nokta atış bir çalışma imiş. Henry Spira'nın hayat hikayesi olan eser inanılmaz bir yoğunluk taşıyor.
Çünkü Henry'nin hayatı derslerle dolu.
belçika yahudisi küçük henry'nin ailesi faşizmin baskısı sonucunda göç eden sayısız aileden biri.
çocuk yaşta iken önce güney amerikada 2 yıl kalıyorlar, orda solculuğa merak salıyor henry.
fransızca ve hebrew yanında ispanyolca da öğreniyor. sonra babası nihai destinasyon olan abd'ye göçü gerçekleştiriyor.
henry'nin geri kalan hayatının geçeceği abd'ye yerleşiyorlar.
göçmenliğin yabancılığın zorluklarıyla boğuşa spira ailesin hayatı çoğu göçmenin sınandığı mental ve ekonomik zorluklarla geçiyor.
ne yazık ki henry'nin kız kardeşi babası zorlu abd maceralarını intiharla sonlandırıyorlar.
otoriter babasıyla anlaşamayıp evi erken yaşta terkeden henry 17 li yaşlardan itibaren kendi ayakları üzerinde duruyor.
bir yandan gemilerde elektrik işleri yapan henry bir yandan da troçkist sosyalist bir partide de görev alıyor.
gemi sendikasında yıllarca sendikal ağalara karşı mücadele etmeye çalışıyor.
tr'de de çokça örneğini gördüğümüz 30 küsür yıl aynı başkana sahip sendikalardan birisi bu.
irishmen isimli filmdeki benzer mafyöz bir sendika yani.
bir yandan da sosyalist partide yayın organında yazarlık muhabirlik yapıyor henry.
örneğin abd'deki ünlü siyah isyanlarını yerinde gözlemleyip gazeteye naklediyor hayatındak önemli birsürü kırılmadan birini orda yaşıyor.
partinin liderlerinden birinin partneri olan bir kadının ikinci sevgilisi oluyor ve bu yıllarca devam ediyor.
yani aşk konusunda da herhangi bir tabusu yokmuş henry'nin.
anladığım kadarıyla bir evliliği çocuğu yok. bu da tüm hayatını bir mücadeleye çevirmesine elverişli koşullar oluşturuyor.
askerliğini 2. savaş sonrası berlinde yapıyor. yıkılmış berlinde bir süre kaldıktan sonra
tekrar gemi işine dönse de 20 yıllık sosyalistlik ve sendikacılıktan sonra hayvan haklarına gönül vermeye başlıyor ve daha az kazanılan ama yerleşik olan lise öğretmenliği yapıyor hayatının son kısmında.
hayvan deneylerine karşı yıllar önceden gelen söylemsel mücadeleyi ete kemiğe büründürüp hep sonuç alıcı kampanyalar organize ediyor.
sosyalistlik sendikalılık zamanında bürokrasiden benim gibi sıtkı sıyrılmış olacak ki hayvan hakları meselesinde bürokratik organizasyon kurma ya da içinde yeralma fikrinden uzak duruyor.
ilk başarılı eylemi bir müzedeki hayvan deneylerini durdurtmak oluyor.
gazetelere ilan, müze önü eylemleri yanında deney yapan biliminsanlarının komşularına yaptıkları zalim deneyler hakkındaki dökümanları gönderme yolları gibi değişik yıldırma taktikleriyle başarıya ulaşıyor. günümüzdeki cancel kültürünün nüveleri gibi (bu noktada cancel kültürüne yana yakıla karşı çıkanlardan olmadığımı da belirteyim). daha sonraları loreal, revlon, avon, mcdonalds fbi gibi birçok dev organizmayla mücadeleye girişiyor, kazanımlar elde ediyor.
günümüzde süregelen birçok mücadelenin önsel örneklerini sergiliyor kısaca. hayvan deneyleri, mezhaba koşullarından, tavukların, ineklerin ahırlardaki işkencelerine kadar birçok konuya el atıyor.
henry'nin kitabın yazarı ve arkadaşı peter singer ile ilişkisi de yıllara yayılıyor.
Not: Peter Singer etik alanında çalışan bir filozof bu noktada daha fazla araştırmam gerekiyor sanırım çünkü Henry'de karşılığını bulan anlayış Singer'ın vegan anlayışını yansıtıyor ve sanırım abolisyonist veganlıktan biraz farklı bir bakış açısı, bunu da iyice kavramam gerekiyor ilerde.
July 5, 2019
I really enjoyed Singer's biographical account of Henry Spira. I had no idea who this man was before I started reading this work and honestly expected something different.
I liked that Singer, perhaps the most known animal advocate, and leading thinker on animal rights (he sparked the movement in 1971 with his publication of "Animal Liberation"), decided to write this volume. Spira and him connected just after Singer finished his graduate studies at Oxford and was a visiting lecturer in New York where he taught a course on Animal rights.
Spira stood out from the group due to his New York working-class accent and inspiring ambition to advocate on behalf of those who cannot.
.
.
Spira first turned his hot rod on experiments conducted on animals needlessly. Millions of animals were put into excruciating circumstances for inefficient reasons, Spira argued. Campaign after campaign, Spira with his small team of volunteers, took down major corporations.
But his advocacy did not end there, he then campaigned against McDonald's and the sobering reality of factory farming, where almost 10 billion land animals are being held in gruesome conditions, in constant distress & pain.
Spira held many victories. This to Singer proves that even the most unlikely of people can achieve great things if committed to their cause.
Thank you, Singer, for telling this story.
I liked that Singer, perhaps the most known animal advocate, and leading thinker on animal rights (he sparked the movement in 1971 with his publication of "Animal Liberation"), decided to write this volume. Spira and him connected just after Singer finished his graduate studies at Oxford and was a visiting lecturer in New York where he taught a course on Animal rights.
Spira stood out from the group due to his New York working-class accent and inspiring ambition to advocate on behalf of those who cannot.
.
.
Spira first turned his hot rod on experiments conducted on animals needlessly. Millions of animals were put into excruciating circumstances for inefficient reasons, Spira argued. Campaign after campaign, Spira with his small team of volunteers, took down major corporations.
But his advocacy did not end there, he then campaigned against McDonald's and the sobering reality of factory farming, where almost 10 billion land animals are being held in gruesome conditions, in constant distress & pain.
Spira held many victories. This to Singer proves that even the most unlikely of people can achieve great things if committed to their cause.
Thank you, Singer, for telling this story.
January 23, 2022
Ce livre m'a vraiment conquise, au début. Le philosophe australien Peter Singer entreprend la biographie du militant animaliste américain Henry Spira, dont les faits d'arme contre l'industrie pharmaceutique et alimentaire a impressionné dans les années 70-80 aux États-Unis. En tant qu'antispéciste, j'étais vraiment curieuse de découvrir les méthodes de Spira, et impressionnée par ses nombreux succès : contre les tests faits sur les animaux en laboratoire, contre l'élevage industriel, etc.
Mais la fin du bouquin m'a laissée plus circonspecte, parce que la biographie se transforme en hagiographie : Peter Singer voue un culte à Henry Spira, et ce culte de la personnalité sur 337 pages m'a gênée. Le récit fait croire que les victoires de Spira ne doivent rien aux autres militant.es animalistes, qu'il était le seul être sensé dans la lutte, or ses réussites doivent tout au collectif et à l'aide matérielle et physique d'autrui.
Bref, ce livre est l'illustration de la solidarité masculine (aussi appelée "fraternité"), puisqu'un homme fait l'éloge d'un autre homme, sans distance ni défaut. C'est un peu lassant.
Mais la fin du bouquin m'a laissée plus circonspecte, parce que la biographie se transforme en hagiographie : Peter Singer voue un culte à Henry Spira, et ce culte de la personnalité sur 337 pages m'a gênée. Le récit fait croire que les victoires de Spira ne doivent rien aux autres militant.es animalistes, qu'il était le seul être sensé dans la lutte, or ses réussites doivent tout au collectif et à l'aide matérielle et physique d'autrui.
Bref, ce livre est l'illustration de la solidarité masculine (aussi appelée "fraternité"), puisqu'un homme fait l'éloge d'un autre homme, sans distance ni défaut. C'est un peu lassant.
April 9, 2021
On the surface this book is a biography of Henry Spira, an animal rights activist who entered an ineffective movement, and instituted effective strategies which resulted in the improved lives of millions of animals. But this books has three other goals: educating the reader about effective activism, demonstrating that an individual can make a difference, and to dispel the notion that life is meaningless. The book succeeds on all fronts.
The book shows how a 50 year old New York high school teacher was capable of thinking deeply about important issues, and deducing the most effective ways to make change. We learn about his strategies and why they were effective. We also see that this activism can lead to an intensely meaningful life. Such a book will convince the reader that they are capable of making change, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in making the world a better place.
The book shows how a 50 year old New York high school teacher was capable of thinking deeply about important issues, and deducing the most effective ways to make change. We learn about his strategies and why they were effective. We also see that this activism can lead to an intensely meaningful life. Such a book will convince the reader that they are capable of making change, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in making the world a better place.
February 29, 2024
Possibly one of the most important books to read for anyone who considers being an activist or generally wonders if there is any sense in trying to make the world a better place.
Henry Spira's life and approach should serve as an inspiration and model for anyone who wants to help humans & animals but doesn't know where to start.
Be specific; start with issues you can tackle and change for the better; have clear goals. You will never be able to help all the animals (or humans), but you can help some and that matters!
'I guess basically one wants to feel that one’s life has amounted to more than just consuming products and generating garbage. I think that one likes to look back and say that one’s done the best one can to make this a better place for others. You can look at it from this point of view: What greater motivation can there be than doing whatever one possibly can to reduce pain and suffering?'
Henry Spira's life and approach should serve as an inspiration and model for anyone who wants to help humans & animals but doesn't know where to start.
Be specific; start with issues you can tackle and change for the better; have clear goals. You will never be able to help all the animals (or humans), but you can help some and that matters!
'I guess basically one wants to feel that one’s life has amounted to more than just consuming products and generating garbage. I think that one likes to look back and say that one’s done the best one can to make this a better place for others. You can look at it from this point of view: What greater motivation can there be than doing whatever one possibly can to reduce pain and suffering?'
November 20, 2020
Really interesting overview of a pre-PETA animals rights movement. It's a bit slow to get going, but once it gets into the animals rights issues it hits its stride. It provides fascinating insight into how someone without any deep pockets or high-level connections can make a big difference using outside the box thinking, guts, and determination.
Spira was taking on massive corporations, and winning, while still working full time as a school teacher! It kind of makes you feel lazy for thinking you'd be able to make a difference in the world if only you had more time.
The main theme of the book is that rather than taking an "all or nothing" approach to advocacy, it's better to fight for small wins that build on each other.
I found it practical and inspiring.
Spira was taking on massive corporations, and winning, while still working full time as a school teacher! It kind of makes you feel lazy for thinking you'd be able to make a difference in the world if only you had more time.
The main theme of the book is that rather than taking an "all or nothing" approach to advocacy, it's better to fight for small wins that build on each other.
I found it practical and inspiring.
January 7, 2022
Many people have compassion for the suffering and torturous lives that most animals on this planet live, but don't really know how to effect change.
Henry Spira was highly effective in improving the lives of thousands of animals, and was greatly influential in bringing about the beginning of a paradigm shift away from millenia of humans' using of animals for their own purposes. His efficacy is due in part because he worked with animal users, giving them the opportunity to develop alternate solutions, while acknowledging the challenges involved.
This book is a pragmatic guide for animal rights activists, and in fact for anyone who would read a handbook of how to effectively bring about social justice change.
Highly inspirational and fascinating, too.
Henry Spira was highly effective in improving the lives of thousands of animals, and was greatly influential in bringing about the beginning of a paradigm shift away from millenia of humans' using of animals for their own purposes. His efficacy is due in part because he worked with animal users, giving them the opportunity to develop alternate solutions, while acknowledging the challenges involved.
This book is a pragmatic guide for animal rights activists, and in fact for anyone who would read a handbook of how to effectively bring about social justice change.
Highly inspirational and fascinating, too.
July 2, 2021
A good book, that encourages people into action. Whether it be about animal liberation or not. The book ends with Spira's death, and a 10 point list for activities which I shan't go into, read the book it is an extremely interesting biography of a man and an activist for the "rights" of the voiceless. It's author Peter Singer is a thoughtful man and this book certainly is written in a thoughtful non-preaching manner. I would recommend this book to anyone who is concerned about the perceived meaninglessness of their life, it is quite an optimistic book about the meaningful use of Spira's time on earth.
January 8, 2025
It makes me so sad that this book isn't more well-known!
This book acts as a biography of Henry Spira's life, providing a complete overview of how just one person managed to have so much influence over huge industries, propelling the animal rights movement into the spotlight for the first time in the process.
As someone who had no idea where to start when it comes to animal rights activism, I found this book to be incredibly helpful not only in underlining the strategies that Spira took in his campaigns, but also the general mindset that he had (which was controversial at the time) that led him to being so effective.
Written as Spira was dying, I also found the end of the book to be unexpectedly touching, and I thought it taught a great life lesson!
This book acts as a biography of Henry Spira's life, providing a complete overview of how just one person managed to have so much influence over huge industries, propelling the animal rights movement into the spotlight for the first time in the process.
As someone who had no idea where to start when it comes to animal rights activism, I found this book to be incredibly helpful not only in underlining the strategies that Spira took in his campaigns, but also the general mindset that he had (which was controversial at the time) that led him to being so effective.
Written as Spira was dying, I also found the end of the book to be unexpectedly touching, and I thought it taught a great life lesson!
March 11, 2022
Singer's understanding of veganism is fundamentally flawed. It is above all a rights movement. An object needs to have a 2 fundamental rights before having any possibility of obtaining more. First a right to live and second a right to be free (in the materialist sense, it needs to not be owned, ie is not a commodity). A commodity cannot have any rights because its owner is dominating it through law, it need to abide by its owners interest.
For animal interests to have moral significance it is imperative that we abolish the property status of animals.
For animal interests to have moral significance it is imperative that we abolish the property status of animals.
December 9, 2018
Entre la biographie et le manifeste, cet ouvrage retrace la vie d'Henry Spira. Au travers de ses combats, de ses convictions, Peter Singer explique comment Henry Spira a réussi à changer la société par sa force de conviction et surtout le postulat que chacun d'entre nous peut être acteur de ces changements.
Très porté sur la cause animale, ce livre est inspirant : nous pouvons tous à notre échelle changer le monde si celui ci ne nous convient pas.
Très porté sur la cause animale, ce livre est inspirant : nous pouvons tous à notre échelle changer le monde si celui ci ne nous convient pas.
July 6, 2022
Henry Spira, ce grand homme qui a réussi à faire bouger les choses en défendant ses valeurs et en luttant pour le bien être animal... Comme quoi, avec de bonnes méthodes et des capacités à dialoguer, tout peut avancer
March 26, 2019
Début assez long mais une fois dépassé ces chapitres, top !
August 18, 2020
Inspiring!
December 13, 2020
Very well written book about a beautiful person giving his best to protect those who need it. Sharing Spira's smarts is very valuable to reduce as much suffering as possible. A total page-turner.
October 30, 2021
What an incredible person, and a great story. Every animal advocate has something to learn from this book. It's both inspiring and practical.
August 18, 2022
Un livre essentiel pour les militant-e-s de la cause animale. Un peu longuet par moments mais il faut lire "Les 10 préceptes pour changer le monde" à la fin du livre.
September 9, 2023
What the heck!!!! This is like one of my favorite books ever. It was entertaining and so informative!! I loved it!!
January 27, 2020
This book, while at times slightly dry, does provide an excellent biography of the activism done by Henry Spira, and presents it in a format which is easy to learn from and appreciate.
February 3, 2015
Really interesting book about a man who single-handedly made huge strides in many animal welfare issues. Written by Peter Singer who offers a fantastic perspective. Respectfully written from a neutral and fact-based perspective. Uplifting & motivating.
July 29, 2008
Henry Spira was one of a kind. I learned so much about strategy and the history of the animal rights movement from this. I'm not a big Singer fan, but this is easy to read and VERY inspiring.
December 23, 2014
An excellent look at how an individual can change the world for the better.
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July 30, 2011a-friggin-mazing.
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