Animals have populated philosophical texts in various forms: idioms, jokes, metaphors, and examples. But most often they are summoned as a foil to illustrate what it means to be human. Animals are instrumental in the construction of the human subject. How should we understand this human-animal divide? Not only does it inform us of who we are, it also tells us how we should relate to other creatures and the larger non-human world. In this dissertation I interrogate the human-animal divide by looking at our linguistic differences. Specifically, I examine why the question of language remains relevant in animal ethics, and how the linguistic divide functions in our relationships with animals. Drawing on the works of Sigmund Freud, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Martin Heidegger, I articulate a theory of language that emphasizes kinship and relational possibilities. By showing that our linguistic capacity is intertwined with our relational capacity, this dissertation seeks to reinvigorate the question of language in animal ethics.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-07062012-164355 |
| Date | 23 July 2012 |
| Creators | Suen, Alison |
| Contributors | Lisa Guenther, Kelly Oliver, Leonard Lawlor, José Medina, Ellen Amour |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-07062012-164355/ |
| Rights | restricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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