Animals and Why They Matter

Robert Moore above says it all, but I just wanted to add that this is one of the best philosophy books I've ever read. I teach philosophy so that's a big thing to say. The philosophy of the writer Midgley is very very sharp and although it's common sense in some cases, Midgley has extraordinary common sense.While the French are fruit loops and the Americans dry as dust in philosophy, Midgley operates out of a witty but kind, sharp but not prickly, Britishness, that is too often as Moore put it, unjustly neglected.If you're tired of stupid Deleuze and mindless Foucault, as well as erudite but incomprehensible Peirce, open up Midgley. Midgley, Midgley, Midgley!I've read three of her books in a row, and this one is by far the best. Midgley is right on the money in every sentence throughout this book.Bravura performance without a trace of Deleuzian diva-dom.Somehow she gets you to see that animals aren't that different from us (at least among the social species of animal such as cats and dogs and simians) and she also provides us with a primer of philosophers on animal and women's rights in tight little nuggets that are highly condensed and yet insatiably readable. This is the book for anyone interested in teaching a course on animal rights. Nothing else will do.

Marvelous! I'm reading Midgley's oeuvre from the beginning and this - her third book - was an absolute and total delight. Especially in light of how difficult I found Heart and Mind (2nd book; compilation of essays). While, obviously, some of the material Midgley references is out of date regarding our studies of animals, the philosophical principles she presents remain solid, and she has, I believe, proved her point in "removing barriers which our tradition has erected against concern for animals." I appreciate her logical, pragmatic approach to a topic (animal welfare) that I am passionate about and committed to; my hope is that some of what I learned will filter through me and into conversations with people who see no point in eliminating animal suffering.

Estilo ameno, bien estructurado y con argumentación contundente.

...in the sense that it is a deeply thoughtful meditation on our relationship to animals. Other reviews have said it all. I can only add that I was struck by how small the book is, considering its depth. Its honest and unpretentious approach deserves a wide readership.

Unlike some philosophers who are inclined to navel-gazing, Midgley gets straight to the nub of the matter. Her prose is unfussy and a joy to read. She slices through fuzzy-thinking humbug like a knife through butter. Moreover, her philosophical writings have a practical purpose. Delightful, informative and eminently readable.

Universal Fact #1: Animals are living, breathing, feeling, loving, soul-filled Children of God, just as much as we human animals are.Further, Animals can (and do) speak, only we ignorant human animals are too stupid to take the time to listen.We human animals are legends in our own minds.Animals deserve the same love, respect, compassion, and consideration that we afford to anyone else.Universal Fact #2: Animals have souls....... eternal souls.To think otherwise is to be ignorant, arrogant, speciesist and one other thing: Wrong.Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.You'll often find that facts are accepted by the minority, and ignored by the majority. This is because humans very rarely want to hear the truth, especially if it means that the lies they've been living must be confronted, because confrontation is the polar opposite of a blissfully ignorant existence.I highly recommend the book "The Souls of Animals".It is much better than this book, and the author is much more enlightened than this one is, with all due respect. This author, though they mean well, isn't in touch with the Universal Facts, mentioned above.Adopt a Cat or a Dog at your local shelter, bond with your new best friend,...... watch, listen and learn from them, and find out what true love, true evolution, and having a true soul, is all about."Man has alot to learn from the higher Animals"-Mark Twain