Arcus Foundation Launches Online Resource Exploring Human Relationships with Other Animals

April 22, 2014

New York, NY – The Arcus Foundation, a global foundation promoting respect for diversity among peoples and in nature, announced today the launch of www.PoliticsOfSpecies.com, an online resource that takes a look at the way humans regard and interact with other animals. The resource is based on the Cambridge University Press book of the same title, edited by Raymond Corbey and Annette Lanjouw. The Politics of Species draws upon essays and video interviews with researchers, philosophers and legal scholars including Steven Wise, Lori Gruen, Edouard Machery, Lori Moreno, and many others.

The Politics of Species challenges many widely held assumptions about the environment and the non-human animals who share it with us. Among the voices presented throughout the resource are a lawyer who has brought a habeas corpus suit to free captive chimpanzees; neuroscientists at the cutting-edge of research into animal consciousness; and an expert who worked behind the scenes on the award-winning documentary Blackfish.

“In order for humans to live in sustainable harmony with the world’s other living creatures, the number of humans who are engaged on that goal will have to grow many orders of magnitude. We created this online resource to expand the opportunity for meaningful dialogue and discovery around this important topic, and we see it as a very positive step forward,” said Annette Lanjouw, The Politics of Species co-editor and Arcus’ Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Great Apes Program.

“The assumption that humans are cognitively and morally superior to other animals is fundamental to social democracies and legal systems worldwide. It legitimizes treating members of other species as inferior to humans. The last few decades have seen a growing awareness of this issue, as evidence continues to show that individuals of many other species have rich mental, emotional and social lives. Bringing together leading experts from a range of disciplines, both the book and website identify the key barriers to a definition of moral respect that includes non-human animals. The book and companion online resource link scientific data with normative and philosophical reflections, offering unique insight into controversial issues around the ethical, political and legal status of other species.”

Founded in 2000 by Jon Stryker, the Arcus Foundation is a private grantmaking institution dedicated to the idea that people can live in harmony with one another and the natural world. Arcus’ work is based on the belief that respect for diversity among peoples and in nature is essential to a positive future for our planet and all of its inhabitants. The Foundation works globally and has offices in New York City and Cambridge, UK. To learn more, visit: www.arcusfoundation.org