Domesticity and Beyond: Living and Working with Animals

What do we owe the animals we live and work alongside, and those who are beyond our reach but inevitably affected by human decision-making? How can we move beyond the problem of harm to cultivate animal-human relationships in morally informed and politically effective ways? Human relationships with animals are pervasive and inevitable, and yet it is only recently that the animal ethics literature has begun to seriously address such questions. Moreover, past political efforts to address and rectify the exploitation of animals have been sorely ineffectual.
With the aim of increasing momentum for the burgeoning philosophical and advocacy movement that takes seriously the ubiquity, complexity, and diversity of animal-human relationships, this symposium brings together a talented and engaged group of scholars and practitioners in the broad area of animal ethics. Together we will explore possibilities for just and cooperative relationships between humans and animals, moving beyond older debates about intrinsic moral status to think about the significance of different contexts and sorts of relationships. We will explore these themes both theoretically and in terms of practical advocacy.   Esteemed philosopher Paola Cavalieri recently suggested that animals are, once again, knocking at the door of the polis.  We invite you to join us as we think about how we will welcome them in, and live our lives together.