Taking Animals Seriously

David DeGrazia • 1996

In this rigorously academic follow-up to Animal Rights, DeGrazia argues for "critical anthropomorphism" : taking animal minds seriously by measuring behaviour and biology. The book engages deeply with philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and ethical theory, and builds a coherent ethical framework for moral consideration of non-human animals.

Why it matters

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DeGrazia builds his case from the ground up, addressing sceptics on their own terms. And, while DeGrazia can be verbose, bordering on grandiose at times (it's '96 dude, you don't need to talk like a knight) the book is ultimately rewarding.

Worth knowing

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DeGrazia coined the term "critical anthropomorphism" to thread the needle between dismissing animal minds entirely and projecting human experience onto other species. It's actually since become a standard concept in Animal Cognition Research.

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