Defending Animals, Disappointing People

Defending Animals, Disappointing People is a guide to the conflicts that arise when trying to reconcile our ethics, cultural traditions, and important relationships.

Written for both scholars and aspiring vegans, this is an account of how to find one’s way through ethically and emotionally charged situations without abandoning our commitments to animals or loved ones. With a unique focus on ecofeminism, care ethics, and moral repair, author Karen Emmerman tackles head-on the gap between the abstract theoretical positions offered by more traditional moral frameworks and the lived reality of making ethical choices that have clear consequences.

A clear theoretical underpinning for discussing humans’ and animals’ intertwined lives leads into practical, real-world approaches to resolving conflict and repairing harm. Fundamental issues around animals’ use as food, their involvement in sport and recreation, and even their significance when raising children, are all confronted in the vital context of sustaining love human relationships.