Animals and Social Justice
Professor Will Kymlicka, Canadian Research Chair in Political Philosophy, Queen’s University
Co-presented with the Human Animal Research Network (HARN) and the Sydney Environment Institute
5 August, 2014
Animals have been largely neglected by theories of justice. While there have been some improvements in welfare and public awareness of animal suffering, political philosophers have been slow to address how we might construct societies to provide social justice towards animals. This forum generates more debate on how we can imagine social justice when we also consider animals.
Will Kymlicka, Canadian Research Chair in Political Philosophy, Queen’s University will address the question of why progressive and social justice movements have failed to take up issues relating to the welfare and rights of animals. Drawing from his recent work (co-authored with Sue Donaldson) Zoopolis: A Political Theory of Animal Rights, as well as his internationally renowned work on multiculturalism and citizenship, Professor Kymlicka will examine the political and cultural challenges to animal rights recognition.
Responses from Glenys Oogjes, Executive Director of Animals Australia, and Professor Duncan Ivison, the University of Sydney.
Professor Will Kymlicka is the Canada Research Chair in Political Philosophy at Queen’s University, Canada. His research interests focus on issues of democracy and diversity, and in particular on models of citizenship and social justice within multicultural societies. He has published eight books and over 200 articles, which have been translated into 32 languages, and has received several awards, most recently the 2009 Premier's Discovery Award in the Social Sciences. His books include Multicultural Odysseys: Navigating the New International Politics of Diversity (2007), which was awarded the North American Society for Social Philosophy’s 2007 Book Award, and most recently Zoopolis: A Political Theory of Animal Rights (2011), co-authored with Sue Donaldson.