Books by Paul Waldau

In this compelling volume, Paul Waldau expertly navigates, in an even-handed survey, the many heated debates surrounding the complex and controversial animal rights movement. He looks at the concerns surrounding different types of animals, the philosophical and legal arguments th...at form the basis of animal rights, the history of animal protection, the political and social realities facing animals today, key figures and organizations in the animal rights movement, and animal rights legislation and public policy around the world. With its multidisciplinary, non-ideological focus and all-inclusive coverage, Animal Rights represents the definitive survey of the animal rights movement.
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In this compelling volume in the What Everyone Needs to Know(r) series, Paul Waldau expertly navigates the many heated debates surrounding the complex and controversial animal rights movement.

A Communion of Subjects is the first comparative and interdisciplinary study of the conceptualization of animals in world religions. Scholars from a wide range of disciplines, including Thomas Berry (cultural history), Wendy Doniger (study of myth), Elizabeth Lawrence (veterinary... medicine, ritual studies), Marc Bekoff (cognitive ethology), Marc Hauser (behavioral science), Steven Wise (animals and law), Peter Singer (animals and ethics), and Jane Goodall (primatology) consider how major religious traditions have incorporated animals into their belief systems, myths, rituals, and art. Their findings offer profound insights into humans' relationships with animals and a deeper understanding of the social and ecological web in which we all live. Contributors examine Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Daoism, Confucianism, African religions, traditions from ancient Egypt and early China, and Native American, indigenous Tibetan, and Australian Aboriginal traditions, among others. They explore issues such as animal consciousness, suffering, sacrifice, and stewardship in innovative methodological ways. They also address contemporary challenges relating to law, biotechnology, social justice, and the environment. By grappling with the nature and ideological features of various religious views, the contributors cast religious teachings and practices in a new light. They reveal how we either intentionally or inadvertently marginalize "others," whether they are human or otherwise, reflecting on the ways in which we assign value to living beings. Though it is an ancient concern, the topic of "Religion and Animals" has yet to be systematically studied by modern scholars. This groundbreaking collection takes the first steps toward a meaningful analysis.
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Animal studies is a growing interdisciplinary field which seeks to understand how humans study and conceive of other-than-human animals, and how these conceptions have changed over time, across cultures, and among various scholarly modes of inquiry. Until now, this growing field ...has lacked a comprehensive introductory text appropriate for new scholars. Animal Studies: An Introduction fills this deficiency, providing the first holistic survey of the field.
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