Anthropocentrism and Its Discontents: The Moral Status of Animals in the History of Western Philosophy

"This book is the first-ever comprehensive examination of views on animals in the history of Western philosophy, from the pre-Socratics to the postmoderns. As Gary Steiner points out, anthropocentrism has been the historically dominant view, based in part on a theocentric view which places the moral status of humans in a position superior to that of animals and inferior to that of a supreme being (or beings). Humans have seen themselves as unique in their capacity to achieve the status of "lords of nature"; they have therefore used animals as instruments to serve their needs. But Steiner also wants to show that throughout history there has been a smaller, less visible contingent of heterodox thinkers who have argued for the rights and status of animals. Their dissatisfaction with self-asserted human superiority and the resulting injustices that have been done to animals forms the basis for Steiner's reexamination of Western philosophy."--BOOK JACKET.