The Philosopher's Dog

Raimond Gaita

ISBN 10: 0812970241 / ISBN 13: 9780812970241

Editore: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2005

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The philosopher Raimond Gaita has always been fascinated by animals%u2013 their obvious intelligence and disturbing brutality, their uncanny responsiveness to our moods and needs, the deep feelings they elicit from us and seem to return. In this marvelous, luminous book, Gaita trains the lens of philosophy on the mystery and beauty of the animals he has known and loved best. The Philosopher%u2019s Dog is one of those rare works that engage the heart from the very first paragraph and haunt the mind long after one has finished reading. What does Gaita%u2019s dog, Gypsy, think about while she sits on her mat gazing out to sea for hours on end? Why did the irascible cockatoo Jack greet Gaita%u2019s father with kisses each morning but bite everyone else? How can we acknowledge that animals are sentient and yet deny that they have consciousness? Is it possible to love animals and still eat meat? In contemplating questions like these, Gaita weaves together personal stories%u2013inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking accounts about the animals he and his family members have sheltered%u2013with the reflections and analysis of a professional philosopher. A graceful, engaging stylist, Gaita is perfectly lucid as he grapples with great thinkers through the ages%u2013from Socrates to Wittgenstein, Descartes to Hannah Arendt. And yet, as important as formal philosophy has been to him, Gaita frankly acknowledges that he has learned much about the nature of life from Gypsy and Jack and his courageously arrogant cat Tosca. In the end, he argues that love should be the essence of our bond with animals, the critical factor that guides how we treat them and think about their place in our world. In pondering the meaning and morality of his relationships with animals, and with the natural world more generally, Raimond Gaita has created a surprising masterpiece, a book of startling insights, spellbinding stories, meticulous observations, and wise reflection. At once engrossing and thought-provoking, The Philosopher%u2019s Dog is a supremely enjoyable book. Solid binding. Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item.

Codice articolo 123681083

Dati bibliografici

• Titolo: The Philosopher's Dog
• Editore: Random House Trade Paperbacks
• Data di pubblicazione: 2005
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0812970241
• ISBN 13: 9780812970241
• Rilegatura: Softcover
• Condizione: Very Good
• Condizione della sovraccoperta: No Jacket
• Tipo di libro: Book

Descrizione articolo

Riassunto

The philosopher Raimond Gaita has always been fascinated by animals– their obvious intelligence and disturbing brutality, their uncanny responsiveness to our moods and needs, the deep feelings they elicit from us and seem to return. In this marvelous, luminous book, Gaita trains the lens of philosophy on the mystery and beauty of the animals he has known and loved best. The Philosopher’s Dog is one of those rare works that engage the heart from the very first paragraph and haunt the mind long after one has finished reading.

What does Gaita’s dog, Gypsy, think about while she sits on her mat gazing out to sea for hours on end? Why did the irascible cockatoo Jack greet Gaita’s father with kisses each morning but bite everyone else? How can we acknowledge that animals are sentient and yet deny that they have consciousness? Is it possible to love animals and still eat meat? In contemplating questions like these, Gaita weaves together personal stories–inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking accounts about the animals he and his family members have sheltered–with the reflections and analysis of a professional philosopher.

A graceful, engaging stylist, Gaita is perfectly lucid as he grapples with great thinkers through the ages–from Socrates to Wittgenstein, Descartes to Hannah Arendt. And yet, as important as formal philosophy has been to him, Gaita frankly acknowledges that he has learned much about the nature of life from Gypsy and Jack and his courageously arrogant cat Tosca. In the end, he argues that love should be the essence of our bond with animals, the critical factor that guides how we treat them and think about their place in our world.

In pondering the meaning and morality of his relationships with animals, and with the natural world more generally, Raimond Gaita has created a surprising masterpiece, a book of startling insights, spellbinding stories, meticulous observations, and wise reflection. At once engrossing and thought-provoking, The Philosopher’s Dog is a supremely enjoyable book.

Informazioni sull?autore

Born in Germany in 1946, RAIMOND GAITA is professor of moral philosophy at Kings College, University of London, and professor of philosophy at the Australian Catholic University. Among his books published in the United States are A Common Humanity: Thinking about Love and Truth and Justice and Good and Evil: An Absolute Conception. He lives in London and Melbourne.