Animals and Why They Matter

Animals and Why They Matter examines the moral status of animals and humans' ethical obligations toward them. The text analyzes common arguments both for and against extending moral consideration to non-human creatures. Midgley confronts the philosophical traditions that have historically separated humans from other species, questioning their validity and assumptions. She builds a case for why animals deserve ethical treatment by examining consciousness, sentience, and social bonds across species. Drawing from science, philosophy, and cultural analysis, the book explores how human societies have viewed and treated animals throughout history. The arguments progress from basic biological realities to complex questions about rights, responsibilities, and the nature of moral consideration. The work stands as a foundational text in animal ethics, presenting a framework for understanding human-animal relationships that moves beyond both pure sentiment and cold rationality.

Readers value Midgley's clear philosophical arguments about animal consciousness and moral status. Many note her systematic dismantling of common objections to taking animals seriously. On Goodreads, multiple reviewers highlight her effective critiques of behaviorism and reductionist views of animals. Readers appreciate her measured tone and careful reasoning rather than emotional appeals. Several point to her analysis of how we categorize different animals and her examination of the "social contract" argument. Main criticism focuses on dense academic language in certain sections. Some readers found the middle chapters repetitive. A few reviewers wanted more concrete policy recommendations rather than pure philosophical analysis. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (52 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (12 ratings) "Clear-headed examination of why animals deserve moral consideration" - Amazon reviewer "Sometimes gets bogged down in academic terminology but worth pushing through" - Goodreads review "Made me completely rethink my assumptions about animal consciousness" - LibraryThing user

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🔹 Mary Midgley wrote this influential work on animal ethics at age 59, proving it's never too late to make significant contributions to philosophy. She went on to publish 16 more books after this one. 🔹 The book directly challenges philosopher René Descartes' view of animals as "machines without souls," a perspective that influenced scientific and philosophical thought for centuries. 🔹 Midgley developed many of her ideas about animal consciousness while observing her cat's behavior during her recovery from an illness, leading to her questioning traditional philosophical assumptions about animals. 🔹 The author was part of a remarkable group of female philosophers at Oxford during World War II, including Iris Murdoch, Elizabeth Anscombe, and Philippa Foot, who transformed modern ethics. 🔹 The book was groundbreaking in its time (1983) for arguing that emotions and social bonds, not just rationality, should be considered when discussing moral status - an approach now widely accepted in animal ethics.