Political philosophy has a lot to say on the topic of governance. So why, wonders Will Kymlicka, has the field had little to say so far about the relationships between humans and the billions of animals in our homes, on farms, in the wild?
Kymlicka and co-author Sue Donaldson hope to remedy that with their book Zoopolis. They examine how concepts like sovereignty and citizenship can be used to think about the responsibilities we owe to different groups of animals — domesticated, wild, and those like raccoons and pigeons, who live in our cities but not with us.
In this interview, we will find out what we can learn from the disability rights movement, which works to enable people to communicate and express themselves in whatever way they best can, and from indigenous rights movements, which expose the dangers of “protection” vs. true sovereignty. We will hear about why some groups like the Amish elect to opt out of certain aspects of citizenship, even as others fight hard for full inclusion.
Join us for a fascinating discussion as Kymlicka shows us a vision of human-animal relations that brings new meaning to the term “political animal”.
Listen right now:
Animal Voices 