Animals as property; History in the Anthropocene
An essay by Gary L. Francione; an event with François Hartog
Dear all,
After a great start last week with Jeffrey Andrew Barash discussing the passive presence of the past (see recording here), Nicholas Halmi’s “Historical Anxiety” series continues tomorrow with the eminent French historian, François Hartog. We published a review of Hartog’s latest book a while back if you want to get a flavour of his work. For those who are 3+ weeks into Veganuary (or indeed for those who wonder what veganism is all about), we have just published an essay by Gary L. Francione, arguably the leading and most provocative scholar of animal rights theory and law (see below). In other news, one of our new managing editors, Paul Giladi, is busy putting together a series of masterclasses on “Inclusive Philosophies” that will take place in March. Paul has already lined up some amazing thinkers and topics, with more currently being confirmed. Full details next month.
Your Sunday Read
“Animals, Property, and Personhood”
An essay by Gary L. Francione
“We may think of animals as having moral value. But, because they are property, they don’t have moral value. They are not quasi-persons. They are just things.”
In this wide-ranging and powerful essay, Gary L. Francione – the leading and most provocative scholar of animal rights theory and law – looks to the history of philosophy to dismantle the conventional wisdom that it is acceptable to use and kill animals as long as we do so “humanely.” He argues that if animals matter morally, they must have the right not to be used as property. That means that we cannot eat them, wear them, use them, or otherwise treat them as resources or commodities. You can read the essay here.
Monday Event: 11am PT/2pm ET/7pm UK/8pm CET
“Presentism, Uncertainty, Disorientation”
François Hartog in conversation with Nicholas Halmi
Uncertainty, disorientation, and insecurity are the words most often used to describe the current conjuncture in our historical understanding. It is a double temporal disorientation provoked, on the one hand, by what French historian François Hartog has called “presentism”, and on the other, by the unprecedented temporalities of the Anthropocene. In this event, Hartog will address some fundamental questions arising from this disorientation: How do we deal with the conflicts between the times of the world and planet time? Doesn’t entering a new cosmos call for a new history: a cosmo-history? You can find out more and register here.
Event Recording
You can watch the recording of the first event in the “Historical Anxiety” series here:
Ending
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Wishing you all a lovely Sunday, wherever you are.
Anthony Morgan
Managing Editor